258 GENETICS [BoT. Absts., Vol. VII, 



retina well developed. "Light Proteus" see, as proved by feeding experiments with earth- 

 worms in outer tank while Proteus was confined in an inner glass tank without water con- 

 nection. No attempt was made to get offspring in darkness from the large-eyed Proteus, 

 though the author scarcely doubted that positive results would have been obtained; he how- 

 ever despaired of contributing anything new to solution of problem of inheritance of acquired 

 characters. — Author cites many cases which he holds bear upon the effect of cave environment 

 upon organisms and does not doubt that their modifications are hereditary effects of environ- 

 mental influences. In reply to his critics regarding the possibility that the individuals with 

 large eyes represented genetically different material, the author states that the 6 reared in 

 red light alone developed the large eyes while 40 others of the same material reared in dark- 

 ness did not do so.^4. M. Banta. 



1785. Keith, A. The mathematician as an anatomist. [Rev. of: Pearson, Karl, and 

 Julia Bell. A study of the long bones of the English skeleton. Department of applied sta- 

 tistics. University of London, University College: Drapers Company research memoirs, 

 Biometric series, 10. Text pt. 1, v + 2U p.; Atlas pt. 1, vii + 59 pi., + tables. 11. Text 

 pt. 1, sec. 2, 225-539; atlas pt. 1, sec. 2, vii + pi. 60-101 + tables. University Press: Cam- 

 bridge, 1919.] Nature 105: 767-770. 1920.— Reviewer has been collecting data from all sys- 

 tems of the Primate body (see Nature 75: 508. 1911). His results are, in the main, in har- 

 mony with those of Pearson. We lack data regarding possible correlation of individualities 

 in the human gait with structural variations of the thigh bone. — 0. A. Stevens. 



1786. Kelly, James P. A genetical study of flower form and flower color in Phlox Drum- 

 mondii. Genetics 5: 189-248. 2 colored pL, 13 fig. Mar., 1920.— Reference is made to inves- 

 tigations of Gilbert (Jour. Agric. Res. 4: 293-302. 1915) who carried three crosses through 

 the Fz generation and assumed five factors to explain his observations.— Author finds that 

 variety cuspidata having deeply incised petals is a simple Mendelian recessive to varieties 

 having entire petals; that so-called variety fimbriata is a "monoheterozygote of the entire 

 and cuspidata types" and hence is unfixable; that color in the petals of fimbriata and 

 cuspidata types is confined to the papillated epidermal cells which do not completely cover 

 the mesoderm.— Funnel-shaped corolla is a simple recessive to salver-shaped corolla.— 

 Crossing of strains A and B, both of which have white flower-blades, and of strains A and J, 

 the former having white flower-blades and the latter light pink, gave in each case a different 

 full-colored Fi type. Fi of strains A X B proved heterozygous for P, a chromogen factor, 

 E, an enzyme factor, and A, an activator for E, these factors being necessary for blade 

 color. Type of blade color varies according to nature of chromogen base. Action of E and 

 A on P produces a full-colored blade; on D, a different chromogen base, gives both stippled 

 and unstippled blades; on R, a third chromogen base, gives a different blade color. In AB 

 and EF series interaction of chromogen bases P and D together with E and A gives a dis- 

 tinct full-colored type. Similarly in AJ series blade color due to factors RE A + color due to 

 DEA gives a distinct full-colored type. In AB and EF series a bluing factor (or linked 

 factors), which is independent of the essential blade-color factors, doubles the number of 

 color types and modifies the reddish blade color to a bluish color. Dark-eyed and light-eyed 

 forms differ by a single factor. In some cases this factor intensifies blade color. Cream- 

 colored blade is a simple recessive to white blade. Author reports fourteen chromosomes in 

 somatic cells of Phlox Drummondii. — Ernest Dorsey. 



1787. Kempton, J. H. Heritable characters of maize. III. Brachytic culms. Jour. 

 Heredity 11: 111-115. 4 fig. Mar., 1920.— The character appeared in a Chinese-Algerian 

 hybrid "Dh 416" and consists of a shortening of the internodes on the main culm without a 

 corresponding reduction in number or in size of other organs. The character behaves as a 

 simple Mendelian recessive. Brachytic variations are found in "bush" peas, beans, squashes 

 and tomatoes and are to be distinguished from dwarfing. Author cites two other cases of 

 brachytic variation neither of which bred true; one segregated in a normal frequency curve 

 in F2, while the other gave only a few brachytic plants. [See also Bot. Absts. 7, Entry 1696.] 

 — J. H. Beaumont. 



