Terroine and Keill ('13) found that the content of fatty acid, and cholesterol in the various interrial organs of the dog and the rabbit does not change even during starvation o r overfeeding, and tliat the content of tlie muscle does change greatly under siniilar conditions. They conclude that muscle acts as a storehouse of fat but that the other organs do not. Terroine ( '14) confirmed this.
Mayer and Schaeffer ('13) found that starvation or overfeeding with lipid-rich food does not change the phospholipid content of organs and they conclude that phospholipids are not an energy reserve.
Whether the lipids in the invertebrates behave in a similar manner is not known. Experiments, consequently, were made to ascertain the effect of starvation on the lipids in the marine annelid, Phascolosowm gouldii.
YATERIAL A S D METHODS Specimens of Pkascolosoma gotcldii were procured from the Supply Department of the Marine Biological Laboratory clnring the months of July and August 1946. Ten worms were put into each of two large aspirator bottles which contained clear filtered sea water. The jars were connected to an aspirator pump and air was gently drawn through tlie sea water to keep it aerated. As controls, 10 worms were put into another jar