Photokinesis and Tonic Effect of Light in Unionicola

1. The speed of progression of Unionicola, a water mite, is influenced by light; and over a certain range increases as a function of the light intensity. 2. The relation between speed and light intensity is not a simple one, as the speed of progression is due to the combined effect of amplitude of steps and frequency of leg movement. 3. The amplitude of stride increases in direct proportion to the logarithm of the light intensity, while the frequency of stepping has no such simple relation to intensity. 4. The change in length of stride with changing light intensity indicates a tonic effect of light on the locomotor muscles. Such an effect has been observed previously in studies of orientation, due to unequal illumination, which produces changes in posture.