July 31, 1919] 



NATURE 



437 



:>f such reversed cases increases as the width of the 

 I ross. The excess of males from such crosses is also 

 vnown to increase similarly, e.g. when the crosses are 

 •etween members of different genera. The theory 

 suggested is that "sex has been controlled in these 

 :orms, and that a male which is forced to arise from 

 a female-producing egg may show in the relative 

 aize of its gonads an approximation to the relative 

 size of the gonads of a female." 



In an investigation (Journ. Biol. Chem., vol. xxxiv., 

 1918, pp. 161-70) of the correlation between fat con- 

 tent in the blood of fowls and the total egg records, 

 Dr. Riddle and Mr. J. Arthur Harris find a pro- 

 cjressive change; it is positive for birds in a laying 

 ondition, sinks to zero after the cessation of laying, 

 and finally takes a high negative value in birds which 

 have long ceased to lay. At the end of the first laying 

 vear birds which have laid larger numbers of eggs 

 and are still laying have a higher percentage of fat 

 in their blood than laying birds which have made a 

 poor record for the year. But birds which have laid 

 a large number of eggs and exhausted their fertility 

 have a smaller percentage of fat in their blood than 

 non-laying birds which have poor egg records. 

 Thus the correlation changes from a positive to a 

 negative relationship. This conclusion involves a 

 serious criticism of that reached bv Warner and 

 Edmond (Journ. Biol. Chem., vol. xxxi., 1017, 

 p. 281). 



Dr. Riddle and Mr. Carl E. Anderson (Amer. Journ. 

 Physiol, vol. xlvii.. 1918, pp. 92-102) gave ring-doves 

 small doses of quinine sulphate, and found a marked 

 reduction in the yolk size and total size of the eggs. 

 It is well known that quinine reduces the destruction 

 of nitrogenous components of the tissues, and probablv 

 checks the secretory activity of the oviduct, the product 

 (albumen) of which is entirely of a protein nature. 

 Furthermore, the presence of quinine in the yolk of 

 the eggs probably checks the characteristic' trans- 

 formation of the nitrogenous compounds ; the eggs 

 t;-^ poor in volk for some weeks after the dosage is 

 iiscontinufd. 



From an egcf produced by a pigeon under the 

 w eakoning influence of " reproductive overwork " there 

 was hatched in igid a female bird which might be 

 dled^ an ataxic mutation. Dr. Riddle describes 

 he bird (Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol, and Med., vol. xv.. 

 IQ17, pp. 56-58). which showed when young a marked 

 lack of power over the voluntary movements of the 

 hoad and body. The affected female was bred to 

 ■ vo different males, and the derangement was seen 

 irough four generations descended from either. Of 

 ;-; voung ones reared to the age at which the disorder 

 might be exhibited, iiq were classed as normal and 

 4''i as affected. With some irregularities the character 

 inoears like a Mendelian recessive 



In nn interesting study of the brains of the "ataxic" 

 aigeons (Amer. Journ. Physiolo^v, vol. xlvii., iqi8, 

 .p. 124-^6), Miss Mathilda L. Koch and Dr. Riddle 

 -^port that, as compared with normal birds of the 

 same parentage, there are increased values for mois- 

 ture, protein, and extracted sulphur, and decreased 

 values for lipoids, phosphatides, and cholesterol. The 

 results of the analvses are interpreted as suggesting a 

 chemical under-differentiation or immaturity of the : 

 disordered brains. " I 



Dr. Riddle and Mr. Victor K. La Mer report (Amer. 

 Journ. Phvsiol., vol. xlvii., iqiS. pp. 103-23) a re- 

 markable fact which must be considered in connection 

 with theories of colour-inheritance, namely, the post- 

 mortem formation of melanin in the pigmentless 

 retinas and choroids of embryo white ring-doves of 

 -5-12 davs of development. Killing the tissues in 

 HgCL does not prevent the production of the pig- 

 ment, but the presence of free oxygen is necessary. 



NO. 2596, VOL. 103] 



INDUSTRIAL LIGHTING. 



IN his lecture at the British Scientific Products 

 Exhibition on July 28,' Mr. L. Gaster traced the 

 growth of interest in industrial lighting, which had now 

 come to be regarded as essential to the health of the 

 workers, to the avoidance of accidents, and to efficient 

 work. The extension of night-work during the war 

 and the great demands made on British factories had 

 rendered good artificial lighting specially important; 

 and various factors likely to operate in the future, such 

 as the fuller use of the "three-shift" system and the 

 development of the manufacture of accurately made 

 standardised and interchangeable parts, also tended 

 in the same direction. Another important considera- 

 tion at present was the saving in fuel that might be 

 brought about by the general use of more scientific 

 and efficient methods of lighting, whereby the con- 

 sumption of gas or electricity necessary to produce 

 a given illumination on the work could be reduced. 

 The case for adequate industrial lighting, both from 

 the economic and humanitarian points of view, was 

 verv s'trong. There was no doubt that both the output 

 and the quality of work suffered if the illumination 

 was defective." Cases were on record in which the 

 output had increased by 8-27 per cent., and even 

 more, when the illumination was improved. In 

 general, the cost of lighting formed only a small 

 proportion (often less than i per cent.) of the wages 

 bill, so that even a small gain in output more than 

 compensated for the expenditure on good lighting. 



Mr. Gaster also gave an instructive account of the 

 steps taken bv various Governments in Europe to 

 promote better" industrial lighting in the years imme- 

 diately preceding the war. The French^ Government 

 had norninated a Committee to inquire into the sub- 

 ject, and the Belgian Government had also been asked 

 to do so. In these cases action had been inevitably 

 delaved by the war, but the Deoartmental Committee 

 on Lighting in Factories and Workshops, appointed 

 bv the British Government in 1913, had persevered 

 with its labours, and issued a most instructive 

 and valuable interim report in 19 15. In this matter 

 Great Britain might justly claim to have taken the 

 lead in comparison with other nations. During the 

 war, however, the United States, profiting bv European 

 experience, had been very active, and there were now 

 five States which actually possessed codes of indus- 

 trial lighting in force. Experience had shown that 

 managers of factories were quite willing to adopt 

 the recommendations in these codes, their chief desire 

 being to receive assistance and guidance in bringing 

 their illumination uo to date. To the worker likewise 

 good illumination was of direct personal benefit. Mr. 

 (Gaster expressed the hope that definite reference to 

 adequate industrial illumination would be introduced 

 into the British Factory Act in the near future. It 

 was also desirable that" industrial lighting should be 

 included amongst the conditions of work to receive 

 international treatment, so that there might be inter- 

 change of experience and uniformity of action in the 

 chief countries of the world. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



THE sessions of the Royal Society of Canada were 

 held as usual in Ottawa on Mav 19-22, and were 

 of more than ordinary interest. There was an un- 

 usually large attendance of fellows from the various 

 provinces, from British Columbia in the west to Nova 

 Scotia in the east, and the presidential chair was 

 occupied bv the Hon. Rodolphe I>emieux. M.P., the 

 distinguished French-Canadian statesman and jurist. 

 Many fellows present had just returned from Europe, 



