The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-08-22
@LVED1lOUTH
SEA MYSTERY
Late Or. Woodwork Made q
Study Of the Palalo Worm.
PUZZLE TO THE BIOLOGISTS.
Why the Creature Appeared at 3:45
a. m. on a Certain Day In Early Mo-
vsnnber or Late In October OF Each
Year According to the Moon


vsnber or Late In October OF Each
Year According to the Moon
DR.. William McMichaeI Woodwork
OF the Museum OF Comparative Zoolo
gy at Harvard who died recently. y -
the discoyerer OF the solution OF
mystery which had puzzled biologists
for half century. This was the iden-
LITIGATION of that mysterious worm OF
the Pacific ocean which makes It's APP
pearance on a clock WORK '-Sc'Sedule once
year. exactly at 3:45 In the morning
Of certain day in early November or
late In October. according TO the quar-
tering of the moon
This remarkable animal is found on
a certain few reefs OF few OF the
south sea Islands II occurs in parts
of Samoa. in Tonga. in Fiji and iu
some of the New Hebrides and bears
the name palolo In the several island
tongues. Its recurrence each year II
a matter OF no little interest TO the
islanders. for II is esteemed as deli
cacy, being used raw. just as il comes
dripping from the salt water or cooked
by steaming in the pit ovens. Either
way 1t has the flavor of highly sailed
spinach and is quite satisfactory TO the
European palate.
Differs From Other Animals.
1t differs from all known animals BY
reason of its strict observance of a
calendar all Its own, yet one which the
islanders have learned to compute for
themselves The hour of its appear
ance is the moment of slack water ebb
at the third quarter of the moon which
comes nearest the first of November.
Five minutes before the appointed
time the reef pools are empty. the
sweep of the tine nets used in the fish
cry yield nothing but a water haul
All at once the water becomes alive
with a writhing mass of worms. each
of the diameter OF pack thread and
FIVE or six inches long The fishers
raise one shout of wild glee when the
palolo appear but that Is the only
shout. for afterward all mouths are
crammed with the dainty morsels as
fast as the nets can scoop them up
In the earliest days of the London |
mission in Samoa fhP Rev. John X. /
Stair secured specimens of palolo and 1
sent them preserved in alcohol to John I
Edward Gray of the British museum. |
BY him their position in the scale OF
the lower life was determined. errone-
ah q
gave the specimens the scientific name
of Paolo viridis For fifty years the
strange periodicity OF the palolo was
a perpetual challenge to students, it
was the despair Of zoology.
He Solved the Mystery.
In 1898 Dr. Woodwork determined
to solve the mystery. went 10 Samoa
for the purpose and established himself
in a Samoan community nearest the
reef where the palolo crop was great
est, at Falelatai on the south shore
of the island of UpOlu In the earlier
experience which be had had In Fiji
the previous year. in the consent OF the
experience of all other students who
had essayed the problem. he recognized
that the mere observation of the rising
Of the worms I'm the reef pools at the
gray of dawn offered no solution. He
prepared for the event by establishing
a rude laboratory in which be could
subject the reef itself TO close examna-
ton. This consisted of series OF
tanks on the shore in which he deposit.
ed Jumps of coral cut from the outer
reef and kept them under steady flow
of water drawn from the lagoon. He
established the necessary control by
crumbling other coral blocks 10 pieces
and identifying all the worms discover
ed in the crannies.
On the appointed morning. as soon as
The first shouts coming out of the dark
ness across the lagoon proved that the
Dalolo had appeared, Or. Woodwork
was delighted to discover by lantern
light that the worms were rising from
he coral in his tanks and that the
a boratory was giving him the oppor-
unity for study which the reefs had
or so many years refused to two gen
,rations of biologists. In eager haste
10 picked the coral blocks to pieces
mo WIS Hblt " lllO AilS ooAANS Va 1AS !
dible worms
Gray In Error.
GRAY had been in error when he
FAMED the worms. His determination
vas based on mere fragments Wood
worth was able to see the whole proc
IS. The worms were not really
worms. but only specific spawning or
ans of much larger worm which
ever was seen outside the coral. This
yorm he identified as a member of ,
YELL known genus and established for
new species under the name OF
,unice viridis
The history OF the recurrence of the a
alolo became somewhat plain. Under Il
he seasonal instinct TO spawn the Ia
-orms In the coral. each as large as d
mans finger shed the palolo TO IL
,rithe for an hour in the still water r.
( the reef pools and by this means TO p,
,sure the continuity OF life. II is not h
ct KNOB why this instinct is so true Il
, the 0endar OF its race. but DIR. re
,oodworth was able TO solve the great In