229 



SUMMAKY OF CUKEENT EESEARCHES 



EELATING TO 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 



(principally INVERTEBRATA and CRYPTOaAMIA), 



MICEOSCOPY, Etc.* 



ZOOLOGY. 

 VERTEBRATA. 



a. Embryolog-y, Evolution, Heredity, Reproduction, 

 and Allied Subjects. 



L'Ann^e Biologique. — Yves Delage (Paris, 1918, 21, xvii + 

 428). We welcome the twenty-first volume of this excellent year-book 

 of biological progress which Prof. Yves Delage continues to edit. Tlie 

 summaries of papers are excellent, and the numerous collaborators have 

 our gratitude. The chapters deal with the cell, the gametes, partheno- 

 genesis, asexual reproduction, ontogeny, teratogeny, regeneration, 

 grafting, sex, alternation of generations, correlation, death, general 

 morphology and biological chemistry, general physiology, heredity, 

 variation, origin of species, geographical distribution, the nervous 

 system and mental functions, and generalities. The present volume 

 deals with 1916, and we have taken the liberty of using some of the 

 abstracts of German papers as a basis for brief reports in our present 

 number. J. A. T. 



Effects of Iodine on Tadpoles. — W, W. Swingle (Journ. Exper. 

 Zool., 1919, 27, 397-414). Iodine and its compounds when fed to the 

 larvae of Rana pipiens and Bt/fo Untiginosus stimulate metamorphosis 

 very rapidly. Inorganic iodine when fed to thyroidless larvae of the 

 toad brings about metamorphosis in an abnormally short time. Iodine 

 appears to function within the organism as a hormone itself without the 

 intermediation of the thyroid gland. The suggestion is offered that 

 the extraction of iodine from the blood and its storage may be the chief 

 function of the thyroid gland. J. A. T. 



Influence of Iodine on Thyroid Gland of Tadpoles. — W. W. 

 Swingle (Journ. Exper. Zool., 1919, 27, 417-25). The thyroid 



* The Society does not hold itself responsible for the views of the authors 

 of the papers abstracted. The object of this part of the Journal is to present 

 a summary of the papers as actually published, and to describe and illustrate 

 Instruments, Apparatus, etc., which are either new or have not been previously 

 described in this country. 



