The chromatic behaviour of the eel ( Anguilla vulgaris L.)

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Abstract
Neil (1939) has described the chromatic response of normal and blinded eels to various condition of illumination. From the times taken to equilibrate when passing from white to black “background” and vice versa with overhead illumination, he concluded that co-ordination is humoral. The time taken to equilibrate after transference to darkness from an illuminated white background or vice versa implies that control is bihumoral. Apart form Neill's work and an early comment by Petersen the chromatic behaviour of the eel has engaged little attention. Lode (1890) described contraction of the melanophores after faradic stimulation of the cord. Odiorne (1933) found that injection of posterior lobe pituitary extract caused expansion of the melanophores. The present communication deals with experiments designed to elucidate the mechanism of co-ordination more fully. It includes observations on ( a ) modification of normal chromatic behaviour by total or partial hypophysectomy; ( b ) effect of total and partial hypophysectomy on tolerance to pituitary extracts; ( c ) influence of nervous stimulation in the presence or absence of an intact blood supply. They are based chiefly on the behaviour of the dermal melanophores for recording which the melanophore index ( μ ) of Hogben and Slome (1931) is used throughout.

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