134 CARNEGIK INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



the non-venomized corpuscles. A number of high acrylic acids and 

 their salts, as well as a few high normal fatty acids, possess the 

 so-called venom-activating properties. A group of experiments, 

 both in the animal body and in vitro, concerning the neutralization 

 of snake venoms and antivenins have been made. The experiments 

 under this topic have to deal with the questions on the nature of the 

 neutralization curves of toxin and antitoxin from the physico- 

 chemical side of view. Similar experiments have also been made 

 with saponin and cholesterin. The velocity of reaction at different 

 temperatures of acids and venoms (upon blood corpuscles) has been 

 determined. The relation between the susceptibility of animals and 

 their body- weight has been studied. 



The above-stated work has been carried out at the Statens Serum 

 Institut, Copenhagen, during a period extending from October, 1903, 

 to September, 1904. The work has already been partly published 

 and the rest soon will be. 



Edward T. Reichert and Amos P. Brown, University of Pennsyl- 

 vania, Philadelphia, Pa. Grant No. 188. For research on the 

 crystallography of hcem og/obi?i . $1, 000 . 



Abstract of Report. — As this grant was not made until April, little 

 progress could be made after June i on the preparation of crystals, 

 owing to the warm weather. About five weeks of satisfactory work 

 was done. In this period Drs. Reichert and Brown prepared and 

 examined crystals from the blood of 1 8 different animals and obtained 

 very satisfactory results in regard to their crystallization. The list 

 includes fishes, batrachians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It would 

 be possible, with the data collected, to distinguish accurately between 

 the bloods of all of the species thus far examined. With the 

 arrival of cooler weather work is beginning again, and they expect 

 to make rapid progress with the investigation during the winter. 



ZOOLOGY. 



A. J. Carlson, Stanford University, Cal. Grant No. 196. For 

 research o7i the physiology of the iiivertcbrate heart. $100. 



Mr. Carlson received a grant as a research assistant in 1903. His 

 report covers the work of 1903 and 1904. 



Abstract of Report. — The molluscan and the arthropod (crusta- 

 ceans, Limulus) heart is provided with regulative nerves. In the 

 crustaceans these nerves take their origin from the thoracic ganglion ; 

 in Limulus they arise from the brain and the abdominal ganglia ; in 



