312 J- Beard 



not merely to those in tbe one table. If the hermaphrodite forms of 

 table 1 had shrunk, then the male forms must also receive their 

 allowance. And tbus no. 7 of table 2 would far exeeed the size\ 

 at whieh, according to Wheeler, the transformation takes place. 

 Wheeler (pag. 265) asks what the overlapping- shown in the two 

 tables on pag. 295, 296 has to do with the question at issue. Obviously, 

 it reveals, that forms on the disc smallar than the true dorsicolous 

 ones are already completely hermaphrodite, while the latter are 

 purely male. It also establishes that, even if Wheeler be right 

 regarding; the transformation, the period varies very considerably, 

 and in such a way that, while au individuai of 0.7 mm may be 

 already completely hermaphrodite, another of 1.13 mm may be male. 

 But if one deny bis right to make an assumption of chauge of 

 Position from back to disc at a certain stage, it proves more than 

 this. On pagg. 239 — 242 we are given a series of forms, starting 

 with functioual males of 0.5 mm in length and ending with herma- 

 phrodites of 1 mm 2. The series commences with dorsicolous forms 

 and eods with disc-individuals, and it is presumably iutended, amoug 

 other things, to convince the reader of the justice of bis assumption 

 that the dorsicolous forms leave the backs of the individuai they are 

 seated upon, and, taking to the disc, become hermaphrodite^. The 

 tables show that the course of events is not that indicated by Wheeler. 

 Variation may be allowed, but not the great amount demanded by 

 the author, who asks, what he did not himself find, Variation in the 

 size, at which the specimeus migrate to the disc. He is himself 

 precise in bis Statements of size (living, preserved, or embedded ?) 

 and asks no Variation, until he comes to deal with my unwelcome 

 results. Thiis his argument about absurdity etc. on pag. 265 is really 

 directed against himself. 



Wheeler would appear never to bave seen smaller disc-forms 

 than those of 1 mm or, at any rate, never to bave studied such ; 

 yet these are at least as common as the dorsicolous forms. Had he 

 examined such forms as nos. 1 — 5 of table 2 he would bave seen 

 that disc-forms of 0.75 mm are hermaphrodite, and that the earliest 



' VON Graff States that he has seen dorsicolous forms of 1.5 mm. 



- Wheeler's series begins below this size and ends above it, but the 

 other forms have no bearings on the argument. 



3 If the dorsicolous forms are invariably young hermaphrodites it is not 

 easy to perceive why they always act in this way, and why some of them do 

 not retain their dorsicolous position after becoming hermaphrodites. 



