Zoology 147 



alkali favors oxidation and dilute acid favors the reduction. Luciferase is a 

 protein, of albuminous nature, and it behaves like an enzyme in oxidizing luciferin. 

 Luciferin has properties in common with the proteoses and peptones. 



E. W. Gudger gives an elaborate description of the ovary of the gaff-topsail 

 catfish and goes extensively into the literature of the subject. 

 No 282. BARTSCH, PAUL. Experiments in the Breeding of Cerions. Octavo, 56 

 pages, 59 plates. Published 1919. 



Cerions, though less showy than Achatinellas and Partulas of the Pacific Isles, 

 present all the interesting problems of derivation and distribution which have 

 attracted naturalists to the Pacific members ever since they became known to 

 science. The members of the genus Cerion are distributed from South America 

 north to the Bahamas and the Florida Keys, with noticeable absence in the Wind- 

 ward and Leeward Chain and Jamaica. It was this proximity that prompted 

 the writer to seek for explanations of the cause underlying their diversity. The 

 results obtained in the experiments to which five species have been subjected are 

 set forth in this report. 



In 1912 a large number of Cerion viaregis Bartsch and Cerion casablancce 

 Bartsch were gathered on Andros Key, Bahamas, and colonies of 500 were es- 

 tablished in Florida on Keys between Miami and the Tortugas. Later three addi- 

 tional species were added, one from New Providence, Cerion crassilabris ("Shut.- 

 tleworth" Sowerby) from Porto Rico, and Cerion uva Linnaeus from Curacao. 

 Careful accounts have been kept of the various generations produced in each of 

 these colonies and full data of measurable characters, as well as reproductions 

 of photographs of the specimens discussed, are given in the present paper. Cerion 

 viaregis and Cerion casablancce are described as new and the anatomic features 

 of the 4 species named above, as well as those of Cerion incanum (Binney), the 

 native species of Florida, are discussed and figured. 



A feature which throws considerable light on the probable derivation of the 

 exceedingly rich Bahaman fauna is a cross between Cerion viaregis and Cerion 

 incanum, two decidedly unrelated members of the genus. The results of this 

 cross are a prolific progeny presenting all sorts of character combinations pos- 

 sessed by the two parents. Forms have been produced which, taking shell char- 

 acters only into consideration, one would readily classify with Cerion groups to 

 which neither of the parent stocks appear to be related. Measurements and 

 figures of 125 specimens taken at random from the hybrid colony are given. A 

 discussion of the significance of this hybrid concludes the paper. 



No. 177. LOEB, LEO, in collaboration with CARL L. ALSBERG, ELIZABETH COOKE, 

 ELLEN P. CORSON-WHITE, M. S. FLEISHER, HENRY Fox, T. S. GITHENS, 

 SAMUEL LEOPOLD, M. K. MEYERS, M. E. REHFUSS, D. RIVAS, and Lucius 

 TUTTLE. The Venom of Heloderma. Octavo, vi-f-244 pages, 38 fig- 

 ures. Published 1913. Price $1.50. 



This volume contains a collection of papers dealing with the morphology of the 

 venom gland, the physical and chemical properties of the venom, the action of the 

 yenom on vertebrate and invertebrate animals, as well as on certain cells and organs 

 in vitro. In an introduction a summary of the results of these investigations is 

 given with special reference to the properties of snake venoms, and problems for 

 further research are suggested. 



No. 12. NOGUCHI, HIDEYO. The Action of Snake Venom upon Cold-blooded 



Animals. Octavo, 16 pages. (Embodied in Publication No. 111.) 



Published 1904. Price $0.25. 

 No. 111. NOGUCHI, HIDEYO. Snake Venoms: An Investigation of Venomous 



Snakes with Special Reference to the Phenomena of their Venoms. 



Octavo, xvn+315 pages, 33 plates, 16 text figures. Published 1909. 



(Out of print.) Price $10.50. 



_ Although this volume refers more especially to the phenomena of snake venom, 

 rt covers much broader ground. The first fifty pages are devoted to a descriptive 

 and systematic morphological and a distributional account of the poisonous snakes 

 of the world, over 300 forms being enumerated, followed by a description of the 



