RECORDS. 175 



Summary of Papers. 



Mr. W. S. Sutton pointed out that the processes of synapsis 

 and reduction in the germ-cells of the grasshopper Bracliystola 

 are such as to indicate strongly that they are the causes of the 

 character-reduction which forms the basis of the Mendelian 

 principle of heredity. Probably the reducing division in 

 Bracliystola does not effect a separation of chromosomes into 

 maternal and paternal groups, but the chromosome-series of the 

 mature germ-cells is made up of a chance combination of 

 chromosomes from the two parents. This is in accord with the 

 results of Mendel and others who have shown that hybrid off- 

 spring exhibit a chance combination of characters from the two 

 parental lines. 



Professor Graham Lusk based his paper upon experiments 

 conducted in his laboratory by Dr. Margaret B. Wilson {Avier. 

 Jour. Phy., VIII., 197, 1902), whose results support his own 

 earlier work. It was shown that new-born pigs develop nor- 

 mally when fed with skimmed cow's milk, or with the same 

 milk to which three per cent, of dextrose or lactose has been 

 added. The growth is proportional to the calorific value of the 

 food — always supposing sufficient proteid to be present. This 

 agrees with the results of other workers who have studied the 

 growth of children and other young mammals. The growth 

 of the pigs was on the average about 2 1 5 grams growth for 

 1,000 calories in the food. Eighteen to nineteen per cent, of 

 the energy of the food was retained in the body as new tissue. 



Professor C. L. Bristol's paper dealt with correlations be- 

 tween habits and appearance with reference to warning and 

 protective coloration of these fishes. An abstract will soon ap- 

 pear in Science in the proceedings of the American Morpho- 

 logical Society. M. A. Bigelow, 



Secretary. 



SECTION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 



March 16, 1903. 



The Section met at 8.30 P. M., and, in the absence of Pro- 

 fessor Kemp, Dr. Julien was made temporary chairman. 



