ANIMAL PRODUCTION. I7l 



spring. That personal qualities of an offspring are the reaction of the gametes 

 joined to form a zygote is the genotyi^e conception, and personal adaptation is, 

 in the view of the author, a matter of little importance. Heredity is defined 

 as the presence of identical genes in ancestors or descendants. The genotype 

 conception is advocated because of its value for further critical research rather 

 than as a full explanation of heredity. See articles noted below. 



Inheritance of acquired adaptations, P. Kammereb (Flugschr. Deut. Oesell. 

 Zuchtiingsk., 1910, Xo. Li, pp. 5.2; Arch. Entimckl. Mech. Organ., 11 (1904), 

 No. 2-3, pp. 165-261,, pi. 1; 25 (1907), No. 1-2, pp. 1-50, pi. 1; 28 (1909), No. I,, 

 pp. Ul-oJ,5, pis. 2; 29 (1910), No. 3-',, pp. 456-^98; 30 (1910), No. 1, pp. 319- 

 408; Sci. Amer. Sup., 10 (1910), No. 180.'f, p. 16, figs. J,; 11 (1911), No. 1829, 

 p. 36; Ztschr. IndukUve Abstam. u. Vererbungslehre, 4 (1911), No. 3-4, pp. 219- 

 288, pis. 3; rev. in Naturio. Rundschau, 26 (1911), Nos. 1, pp. 6-8; 2, pp. 20, 

 21). — Results of experiments with toads, lizards, and salamanders extending 

 over a series of years lead the author to infer that the changes in color and 

 other adaptations brought about by environment are inherited. 



The determination of dominance and the modification of behavior in 

 alternative (Mendelian) inheritance, by conditions surrounding or incident 

 upon the germ cells at fertilization, W. L. Tower (Biol. Bui. Mar. Biol. Lab. 

 Woods Hole, 18 (1910), No. 6, pp. 285-353, pis. 8, figs. /,).— This is a paper pre- 

 sented at the meeting of the American Naturalists in Boston, in December, 1909. 

 Three species of chrysomelid beetles of the genus Leptinotarsa, which hybridize 

 freely, namely L. signaticolUs, L. undecimlineata, and L. divrrsa n. sp., were 

 used in the investigation. 



Some effects of temperature upon growing mice, and the persistence of 

 such effects in a subsequent generation, F. B. Sumner (Aiucr. Nat., 45 (1911), 

 No. 530, pp. 90-98). — A discussion of the necessjiry conditions for the fair test 

 of the question as to the inheritance of acquired characters. Brief reference is 

 made to the significance of the results obtained by the author (E. S. R., 22, 

 p. 378), Towex', Kammeror (noted above), and other investigators. 



Further investigations on changes in species, especially the nature of 

 quantitative specific differences in daphnids, R. Woltereck ( Verhandi. Deut. 

 Zool. Gesell, 1909, pp. 110-173, figs. 18; abs. in Zool. Zentbl., 11 (1911), No. 

 23-25, pp. 756-760). — When daphnids were overfed for several generations a 

 widening of the head and other changes took place. After 2 years the original 

 head form was not displayed by the young, even when returned to normal 

 nutritive conditions, and the effect of the environment appeared to be -perma- 

 nently inherited. 



The author maintains that a new genotype was produced by the continued 

 action of the culture medium. 



Organic response, D. T. Macdougal, (Amer. Nat., 45 (1911), No. 529, pp. I-40, 

 figs. 5; Science, n. ser., 33 (1911), No. 838, pp. 94-101; Sci. Amer. Sup., 11 

 (1911), No. 1834, pp. 122, 123). — ^A number of investigations, including the work 

 of Tower, Sum»er, and Woltereck, noted above, are reviewed, and the author's 

 own investigation with plants is given in detail to show that external agencies 

 jictlng upon a great variety of organisms have been seen to result in the 

 appearance of new types of genotypes, which have been found to transmit their 

 characters perfectly through so many generations as to indicate practical per- 

 manency. These changes may be regressions, awakened latencies, or organiza- 

 tions de novo, and the alterations induced by external agencies may be cumu- 

 lative or mutative as to appearance or organization. They may be permanent 

 upon first appearance, or, on the other hand, may need generations of repeti- 

 tion before becoming fixed. 



98334°— No. 2—11 6 



