xxxviii Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



The presence of an element in the dens epistrophei of cat embryos 

 has been observed developing cephalad of the component identified as 

 the centrum of the atlas and extending upon the basal plate of the cra- 

 nium. This component is derived from the mesenchyma which, in the 

 form of a cone traversed by the notochord, extends from the level of 

 the atlas cephalad upon the basal plate and there lies in a deep median 

 groove. Chondrification in this part of the dens occurs later than in 

 that part related to the atlas, but the two processes appear not to be 

 entirely distinct. 



Mr. S. S. Knight presented a paper entitled "Some 

 Microscopic Observations upon the Segregation of Im- 

 purities in Carbon-Iron Alloys." 



This paper was accompanied by some seventy-five slides, showing 

 original work done in the field of metallography, and detailed largely 

 the isolation and description of the impurities found in the form of 

 phosphides, sulphides, silicides and cuprides as they occur in cast ma- 

 terial, which has had no work done upon it. 



March 17, 1913. 



President Engler in the chair; attendance 31. 



Dr. E. G. Payne addressed the Academy on "Social 

 Effects of Some Recent Child Labor Legislation in 

 Missouri." 



The law considered was section 1716, Revised Statutes of Missouri, 

 limiting the labor of children between the ages of fourteen and sixteen 

 years to eight hours per day. The effect of the law is to exclude 

 laborers under sixteen from factory employment, because of the inabil- 

 ity of managers to use with profit laborers working on two schedules. 

 An examination of available data relating to school attendance showed 

 that laborers excluded are not in school. Also that the law has not 

 tended to deter children affected by the law from leaving school when 

 they become fourteen. The children between fourteen and sixteen are, 

 therefore, in "blind alley" vocations; i. e., working as newsboys, errand 

 boys, office boys, street vendors, drivers, delivery boys, etc., and upon 

 the streets, unemployed. In so far as the work of the children is 

 necessary for the family support the result has been bad, as there has 

 resulted keen competition for the positions that are now open to chil- 

 dren who are compelled to work, but are excluded from factory em- 

 ployment. A study of data gathered by the Bureau of Labor, the Chi- 

 cago School of Civics and Philanthropy, and the records of the Juve- 

 nile Court in St. Louis showed that tendency to crime among children 

 is most marked among those engaged in the "blind alley" vocations and 

 among the unemployed. These data led to the conclusion that the law 

 has resulted in serious evil consequences and that supplementary legis- 

 lation is necessary to make the law effective. 



