No. 1, August, 1920] GENETICS 51 



483. Guyer, M. F., and E. A. Smith. Studies on cytolysins. I. Some prenatal effects 

 of lens antibodies. Jour. Exp. Zool. 26: 65 82. 1918. — The lenses of freshly-killed rabbits 

 were reduced to a pulp and diluted wit h normal salt solution, then injected into the peritoneal 

 cavity of fowls. Serum obtained from such fowls, when injected into the blood-vascular sys- 

 tem of pregnant rabbits, attacked the lenses of some of the uterine young, though without ef- 

 fect on the lenses of the mothers. The affected lenses were rendered opaque or liquid. Sim- 

 ilar results were obtained in mice. The experiments demonstrate that specific si nut oral 

 modifications can be engendered in the young in utero by means of specifically sensitized sera. 

 — Bertram G. Smith. 



384. Haecker, V. Vererbungsgeschichtliche Einzelfragen IV. Uber die Vererbung ex- 

 tremer Eigenschaftsstufen. [Historical genetical problems IV. On the inheritance of extreme 

 character-gradations.] Zeitschr. indukt. Abstamm. Vererb. 21: 145-157. 2 fig. Sept., 1919. 

 — Various cases already in the literature are brought together in support of the following gen- 

 eralization: The extreme grades of a varying character will show agreement with the law of 

 segregation, but the intermediate grades will not show such phenomena among themselves. 

 The cases cited as evidence include height of peas, Mendel's short and tall vs. Bateson's dwarf 

 and semi-dwarf; the relations of Oenothera gigas and nanella vs. those of 0. muricata and nan- 

 ella; stature in man (an original pedigree is given of one family involving a size cross) ; crosses 

 between the blue and white varieties of flax, and between two species of somewhat different 

 blues; much the same situation in Veronica; leaf color in Shull's Lychnis; spotting in mice 

 and rats; and finally various examples from butterfly crosses. In attempting to provide some 

 theoretical explanation to cover the situation in general, the multiple factor theory is found 

 impossible without far-reaching supporting hypotheses. A special factor influencing the 

 extreme plus and minus grades is not accepted because this phenomenon is so far-reaching in 

 plants and animals, involving color as well as form, that there must be a common final cause 

 behind all cases. Neither can the popular theory of linkage be called in to help without the 

 special assumption that linkage is effective when strong concentrations of duplicate factors 

 are present, and also when these factors are in greatly reduced numbers, but in the inter- 

 mediate conditions the factors exhibit their independence. But this explanation is not satis- 

 factory, and in the present state of the science the best one can do is to say that, "In con- 

 tinuously varying characters the extremes show a greater inclination to inheritable indepen- 

 dence than do the intermediate grades." In other words, the germplasm determining the 

 extreme grades is much more stable and independently heritable than that determining the 

 intermediate grades. The article is concluded with a cursory discussion of the antagonistic 

 relation between white and black with special reference to mosaic arrangements and to onto- 

 genetic reversals; it is suggested that one condition of the germplasm may completely turn 

 over into the other condition with proportional ease. — E. C. MacDowell. 



385. Haecker, V. Die Annahme einer erblichen U ^rtragung kdrperlicher Kriegs- 

 schaden. [The supposition of a hereditary transmission of physical war injuries.] Arch. 

 Frauenk. u. Eugenik. 4: 1. 1919. 



386. Haecker, V. Uber Regelmassigkeiten im Auftreten erblicher Normaleigenschaf- 

 ten, Anomalien und Krankheiten beim Menschen. [On regularity in the occurrence of heredi- 

 tary normal characteristics, anomalies and diseases in man.] Mediz. Klinik. 14: 177. 1918. 



387. Hammerlund, H. C. Foradling av gronsaksvaxter vid Weibullsholms Vaxtforad- 

 lingsanstalt. [Improvement of green vegetables at the station for plant improvement of Wei- 

 bullsholm.] 18 p., 7 fig. W. Weibulls Illustrerade Arsbok (Landskrona) 15 (1920). 1919. — 

 Gives an account of the results obtained and methods practised. Self-fertility has been found 

 to be very unequal for different sorts of cabbage, and seems also to vary for other kinds of 

 green vegetables. In parsnips self-fertility seems however in general to be very effective. — 

 K. V. Ossian Dahlgren. 



388. Hansen, W. EinigesuberRubenzucht. [Something about beet-breeding.] Landw. 

 Zeitung 39: 154-156. 1919.— See Bot. Absts. 5, Entry 272. 



