8. Abstammungslehre. 395 



climates associated respectively with partial submergence and extreme emer- 

 gence of the Continental areas, as elaborated by Chamb erlin, are in exact 

 aceord with the apparent course of evolution of land vertebrates, when inter- 

 preted with due allowance for the probable gaps in the geologic record. 



5. The numerous hypothetic land bridges in temperate, tropical and 

 southern regions, connecting continents now separated by deep oceans, which 

 have been advocated by various authors, are improbable, inconsistent, and 

 unnecessary to explain geograpbic distribution. On the contrary, the known 

 facts point distinctly to the permanency of the deep ocean basins during the 

 later epoehs of geologic time, to the alternate connection and Separation of 

 the land areas within the line of the Continental shelf and to the continued 

 isolation of those land areas which are surrounded by deep ocean. 



These theories are substantially an adaptation of the conservative views 

 of Wallace and other zoölogists to the geological theories of Chamberlin. 

 They are defended by a consideration (1) of the nature and extent of the 

 defects in the geological record; (2) of the relations of the zoölogical regions 

 to each other and the changes effected by elevation or submergence of 100 

 fathoms; (3) of the principles of dispersal of land animals; (4) of the cha- 

 racter of the fauna of oceanic islands (including Madagascar, Cuba and New 

 Zealand) and the degree of probability which attaches to accidental trans- 

 portation as a means of populating them; (5) of the present and known past 

 distribution of the mammalia, group by group, in considerable detail; (6) of 

 the distribution of the different Orders of reptilia in a less detailed manner; 

 (7) of the distribution of birds and fishes, with a few instances from inverte- 

 brate distribution which have been especially urged in support of hypothetical 

 bridges; (8) of the objections to such bridges and an interpretation of the 

 real significance of such evidence as has been adduced in support of them. 



The Speaker believed that the supposed cumulative evidence obtained in 

 various groups of animals or plants for various continental bridges is due 

 simply to identical errors in interpretation running through all such instances. 

 On the other hand, to admit such bridges would seem to involve certain 

 distribution results, which, in the groups which he has studied, assurely do 

 not exist. Hussakof (New York). 



1078) Gerould, J. H., Suggestions to the culture of butterflies. 



(Science 33,843. p. 307-310. 1911.) 

 Angaben über zweckmäßige Einrichtungen zur Zucht, Signierung und 

 Aufbewahrung von Schmetterlingen bei experimentellen Variations- und Ver- 

 erbungsstudien. J. Schaxel (z. Z. Neapel). 



1079) Lo Monaco, L. (Hygienisches Institut Palermo), Über die Virulenz 

 des Pneumokokkus und Streptokokkus. 



(Zentralbl. f. Bakteriologie 57,2. p. 108—148- 1910.) 

 Immunserum von Kaninchen hat auf den Pneumococcus lanceolatus in 

 vitro keine bakterizide oder entwicklungshemmende Wirkung; er wächst darin 

 mindestens ebensogut wie im normalen Serum, nach 20 Stunden ist die Ent- 

 wicklung deutlich. Die Keime sind mehr oder weniger agglutiniert, dem- 

 entsprechend ist auch die Färbung. Im aktiven wie inaktiven Immunserum 

 gezüchtet, findet jedoch eine Herabsetzung der Virulenz des Pneumokokkus 

 statt, eine Abschwächung, welche auch bei den fortgezüchteten nächsten Gene- 

 rationen noch deutlich. Die Immunkörper des Kaninchens und des Esels sind 

 in bezug auf den Pneumokokkenrezeptorenapparat identisch. 



Die Wirkung der Immunsera auf die morphologischen, kulturellen und 



27* 



