SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES 



RELATING TO 



ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 



(principally invertebrata and cryptogamia), 



MICROSCOPY, Etc.* 



ZOOLOGY. 



VEBTEBBATA. 



a. Embryology.-} 



Correlation of Antlers and Reproductive Organs.j^Herr A. Rorig 

 asks five questions. The first is: Does the absence of antlers or the 

 ■development of only one depend on an abnormality of the reproductive 

 ••system? He answers that the condition may occur with both normal and 

 ■ abnormal gonxds. The second question is : Oan the occasional develop- 

 ment of antlers in female Cervidge be referred to the abnormal develop- 

 ment of the reproductive organs ? He answers that a diseased state on 

 one side may be correlated with the development of one antler, on both 

 sides with the development of two antlers, and that one-sided disease has 



• a correlation operating transversely. It' the ovaries are atrophied there 



• are usually antlers. Hermaphrodites seem always to have antlers, and 

 '•these are the more perfect the more the gonads incline towards maleness. 

 Irritation of the appropriate place may also evoke antlers in females. 

 'The third question is : What effect has partial or total castration in the 

 males? It is answered that the effect varies according to the age of the 

 animal and the stage of antler development. In a young quite hornless 

 male, castration entirely inhibits the growth of antlers. Fourthly, Rorig 

 points oat that atrophy of the testes is almost always followed by the 

 formation of Perriicken-a,ntlevs, and injury to the testes by v>remature 

 casting. Fifthly, the excision of the antlers has no deleterious effect on 

 the reproductivity or health of the individual. It is obvious that this 

 is a very important contribution to our knovledge of the correlation 

 between gonads and soma. 



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

 not 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 tins country. 



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

 but also those dealing witli Evolution, Development and Reproduction, and allied 

 subjects. 



X Arch. Entwickmech , viii. (1S99) pp. 3S2-447. See Zool. Centralbl , vii (1900) 

 pp. 39-40. 



N 2 



