134: THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [June, 



borne to the upper regions of air by whirlwinds or otherwise, may be 

 transported to great distances. 



2. The entanglement of these eggs, many of which have hooks upon 

 them, in the plumage of birds or the hair of animals while bathing, is 

 another means of transportation. In the former case they may escape 

 in mid-air, and so be carried by aerial currents for long distances. 



3. The transportation of these eggs as dust with the cargoes of vessels, 

 even to foreign countries, may account for appearance of the same species 

 in countries intimately connected in commercial relations. 



Marine Laboratory. — The circular announcing the second season 

 of the new Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Holl, Mass., is out. 

 The laboratory is under the direction of Prof. C. O. Whitman, as last 

 year, and will consist of two departments, one for investigators and an- 

 other for students. That for investigators will be open from June 3 to 

 August 31, and Howard Avers, Ph. D., and E. G. Gardiner will be as- 

 sistants. Aquaria, glassware, reagents, &c, will be supplied, but micro- 

 scopes and microtomes must be furnished by the investigators. Eight pri- 

 vate rooms are offered for the use of investigators who do not require in- 

 struction. Others desiring special aid by w a y °f suggestions and criti- 

 cism or instruction in technique will occupy tables in a general labora- 

 tory on the second floor of the building. For the privileges of this 

 laboratory a fee of $50 will be charged. The laboratory for students 

 will occupy the first floor and the regular courses of instruction will 

 begin July 10, and continue seven weeks, under the following instruct- 

 ors : J. S. Kingsley, Sc. D. in zoology, Jas. E. Humphrey, S. B. in 

 botany, and Playfair McMurrich in microscopical technique. Occa- 

 sional lectures are promised by Prof. E. B. Wilson, of Biyn Mawr, 

 Prof. S. C. Minot, of Harvard Medical School, and others. The fee for 

 the privileges of this laboratory will be $25. The success of this enter- 

 prise has thus far been very encouraging to those interested, and it is 

 expected that this season will afford a still larger number of workers the 

 privileges of a well-equipped sea-side laboratory, the need of which has 

 been greatly felt for several years. CoiTespondence relative to the 

 laboratory should be addressed to Miss A. D. Phillips, 23 Marlborough 

 St., Boston, Mass. 



Microbes in Snow. — Recent investigations regarding the presence 

 of bacteria in snow and the possibility of some species retaining then- 

 vitality, or even increasing when subjected to a very low temperature 

 have led to the following conclusions, viz : 



1. Snow always contains bacteria, some forms of which are capable 

 of multiplying in gelatin cultures. 



2. These are more numerous in the first snow that falls than after it 

 has been falling for some time, indicating that a portion of these at least 

 are derived- from the air. The remainder may come from the vapor 

 that arises from water containing bacteria in considerable numbers. 



3. Snow that has been lying upon the ground for some time contains 

 a smaller number of those forms which liquefy gelatin than when freshly 

 fallen and a larger rtumber of those forms which do not liquify gelatin, 

 showing that these forms are capable of multiplying at low temperatures. 



The Rabbit Pest of Australia. — The experiment of trying to 

 rid Australia of its rabbit pest by introducing the chicken cholera, to arti- 

 ficial innoculation of which the rabbit is extremely susceptible, is re- 

 ported to be a failure. 



