407 



I 



Reptilian eggs were, I saw, specially adapted for the first attempt 

 at such an experimental study of meroblastic ova, as there is no ne- 

 cessity for keeping up a constant temperature in hatching them and 

 by so much the conditions of success are simplified. It was also evident 

 from the first that if the eggs are at all capable of developing after 

 the operations to which they are subjected, the problem would be 

 how to prevent various microbes 



from getting access to the inside ,d 



of the eggs and thus setting de- 

 composition there. The method of 

 procedure which I adopted under 

 the circumstances was as follows: 

 I had a number of small casks about 

 15 cm high and 12 cm in dia- 

 meter made. I filled these with 

 earth which was at first well dried 

 and then moistened with a 0,1 "/o 

 solution of corrosive sublimate. 

 The employment of corrosive subli- 

 mate had twofold objects, 1) to 

 sterilize earth and 2) to give a 

 degree of moisture necessary for 

 eggs to develope in. After the 

 eggs were subjected to necessary 



LoDgitudinal Seutiou of the Hatching-Cask with Eggs etc. iu situ. 

 A, Ä Eggs. B Small glass dish. C Blotting paper satured with carbolic acid. 

 D Glass jar. E Cask. 



operations, they were imbedded in earth, as shown in the annexed 

 figure, in the upper part of the cask. At first I placed only one egg 

 in each cask, but afterwards I increased the number to two, three, 

 or even as many as seven. I however think now that the latter 

 number was too many. A small glass dish (J5) was then inverted 

 over the eggs. Just before placing it in position, it was thoroughly 

 wiped with a piece of cloth soaked in carbolic acid and its inner sur- 

 face was given a spray of the same reagent or scattered with a few 

 drops of kreosote. On most occasions, a piece of blotting paper {C) 

 soaked in carbolic acid or with a few drops of kreosote was placed 



I) This reagent was adopted after consultation with my colleague. 

 Prof. Dr. OeoTA, to whom my thanks are due. 



