SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES 



RELATING TO 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 



(principally invertebrata and cryptogamia), 



MICROSCOPY, Etc.* 



ZOOLOGY. 



VERTEBRATA. 



a. Embryology. t 



Experiments on Telegony4 — Mile. Barthelet has made experiments 

 with white and grey mice (Mus domesiicus), in regard to which it is 

 known that if white females are crossed by grey males, the offspring 

 are in the great majority of cases grey. 



Fuur white virgin females were paired with as many grey males ; the 

 (25) young were all grey. The females were then paired with white 

 males ; the (28) young were all white. 



A white virgin female was paired thrice with a grey male ; the (17) 

 young were all grey. The female was then paired with a white male ; 

 the (6) young were all white. Further experiments yielded similar 

 results ; there was no hint of telegony. 



Sex in Pigeons.§ — L. Cuenot points out the error of the common 

 opinion that the two offspring in pigeons are ordinarily of opposite 

 sexes. In 65 clutches the results were — 17 cases of two males, 14 cases 

 of two females, 34 cases of opposite sexes. Nor is it the case that the 

 first laid egg usually becomes a male. Out of 30 clutches, the first 

 laid egg gave rise to a male in 15 cases, and to a female in the other 

 fifteen. The normal proportion of the sexes in the carrier pigeon is 

 115-87 male to 100 females — a notable hyperandry — as Darwin also 

 remarked in regard to the adults. 



Histogenesis of Ovary in Rana temporaria.!|— M. Bouiu finds that 

 the primordial genital organ in the tadpole consists of small germinative 

 cells, and of large primordial genital cells which are filled with yolk- 

 plates. The primordial genital cells arise from the peritoneal* and 

 mesenchymatous cells in the vicinity of the genital zone, and the same 



* The Society are not intended to be denoted by tlie editorial " we," and they do 

 uot hold themselves responsible for the views of the authors of the papers noted, 

 nor for any claim to novelty or otherwise made by them. 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, &c, which are either new or have 

 not been previously described in this country. 



t This sectiou includes not only papers relating to Embryology properly so called, 

 but also those dealing with Evolution, Development, Reproduction, and allied subjects. 



J Comptes Eendus, cxxxi. (1900) pp. 911-2. § Tom. cit., pp. 756-8. 



|| Arch. Biol., xvii. (1900) pp. 201-381 (4 pis.). 



