[845] HEARING AND THE OCTOPUS STATOCYST

A detailed study of the anatomy of the octopus statocyst by Young (i960) seemed to indicate that, although the maintenance of equilibrium was likely to be its most important function, the possibility of its participating in the function of hearing could not be ruled out. The work described here was an attempt to test this possibility. The general problem of the function of invertebrate statocysts was reviewed by Lowenstein (1950) who pointed out that structural comparisons with the vertebrate labyrinth might be misleading and that direct experimental evidence was needed. Boycott (i960) has described the effects of unilateral and bilateral removal of statocysts on the maintenance of equilibrium in Octopus, and Wells (i960) has described the effects of the same procedure, with its consequent displacement of the retina, on learned discrimination. METHODS The work was done at the Stazione Zoologica in Naples and Octopus vulgaris Lamarck of about 300 g. mass were used. They were placed in pressed asbesto