246 BESSIE NOYES 



generations, starting each new generation with a daughter from 

 an alcohohzed mother. At the end of the experiment progeny 

 of these alcohohzed hnes were returned to normal culture solu- 

 tions to test the retention of the influence of the alcohol. In 

 regard to the production of eggs, it was found that "The rate of 

 reproduction was lower in the alcoholic strains than in the 

 control and it was proportionally lowered according to the 

 amount of alcohol used." But after the return of the progeny 

 to normal culture solutions it appeared that "The weaknesses 

 developed by the parental use of alcohol are partially eliminated 

 in the first generation after the alcohol has been removed, and 

 practically completely eliminated at the end of the second genera- 

 tion after the alcohol has been removed." In so far as such a 

 comparison can be made, the rotifer Hydatina senta reacts 

 to alcohol in much the same way as the domestic fowl. 



The question of the effect of alcohol on germ cells "is of such 

 importance that it seemed worth while to test it again as 

 thoroughly as possible in another of the lower organisms. Proales 

 seemed particularly favorable for this work, since it will thrive 

 in a medium of comparatively definite composition, passes 

 through the life-cycle in a short time, and produces a large 

 number of eggs with a high percentage of viability. In pre- 

 liminary study it was found that individuals of Proales subjected 

 to the fumes of ethyl alcohol in solutions of varying percentages 

 showed an effect equal to that on individuals reared in culture 

 solutions to which an equal per cent of alcohol had been added 

 directly. The same thing has been found to be true for infusoria 

 by Estabrook ('10), working on Paramecium, and in many 

 other experiments carried out in this laboratory. Throughout 

 the experiment with Proales the organisms have been isolated 

 in normal ys per cent malted milk and placed on supports in 

 closed Stender dishes. In the bottom of each culture dish 

 sufficient absolute alcohol was added to 100 cc. tap-water to give 

 the percentage indicated in the particular experiment cited. 

 These alcohol solutions were changed each day, the adult organ- 

 isms transferred to fresh culture fluid, and if individual data 

 were to be secured on the eggs, they were transferred to fresh 

 culture fluid also. 



