i6 



NATURE 



\Nov. I, 1883 



darius), British, presented by Mr. T. E. Gunn ; two Pintails 

 {Dafila acuta), two Wigeons (Itlarcca peiidope], European, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Charles E. Boultbee ; a Margined Tortoise {Tes- 

 tiuio marginata) from the Ionian Isles, presented by Miss 

 Mansell ; a Purple-faced Monl;ey (Semiiopithecus leucoprymitiis 9 ) 

 from Ceylon, a Pinche Monkey (Midas adipus) from Brazil, two 

 Common Marmosets (Hapak Jacchiis) from South-East Brazil, 

 deposited ; a Chimi>anzee (Atit/iropopil/iccus troglodytes <J ), a 

 Chimpanzee (Antliropopithccits calvns ? 9 ) from West Africa, a 

 Chipping Squirrel (Tamias striata) from North America, two 

 Bramblings {Fringilla tiiontifriiigilld), European, purchased ; 

 two Simon's Dwarf Jerboas {Dipodilbis simoni) from Arabia, 

 received in exchange; six Long-nosed Vipers (Vipera ammo- 

 dytes), born in the Gardens. 



BIOLOGICAL NOTES 



Observations on the Embryology of the Teleosts, by 

 J. S. Kingsley and H. W. Conn. The observations were made 

 during the summers of 1S81 and 1882 at the Summer Laboratory of 

 the Boston Society of Natural Ilistoryat Annisquam, Mass., on the 

 egg development of Ctcnolabrus caruleus. 'I'he eggs were ob- 

 tained by surface skimming, and were usually equally abundant 

 during the day and in the evening, and as a rule were more so 

 on the flow than on the ebb of the tide. Half an hour's skim- 

 ming would produce on an average 150 eggs. These eggs all 

 floated at or near the surface of the water, and presented a marked 

 contrast to those of either an Elasmobranch, Batrachian, Reptile, 

 or Bird, in that the germinative portion is invariably downward 

 or on the lower surface of the i egg, while the deutoplasm is 

 uppermost. The stages obseived were : the maturation of the 

 ovum, the phenomena of segment.ition until the formation of 

 the germ layers, the formation of the three primary layers, 

 the segmentation cavity, the invagination of the hypoblast, 

 and the appearance of nuclei in the intermediary layer 

 of Van Bambeke, tlie formation of the notochord and 

 neural cords, the former arising from the hypoblast at first as a 

 longitudinal medi.an thickening of that layer, and subsequently 

 becoming segmented off and taking its place among the meso- 

 hlastic tissues, the development of the optic bulbs and proto- 

 vertebrK. 



Embryol'jgical Monographs. — Under this title Prof. 

 Alexander Agasiiz proposes to issue a series of selections from 

 embryological monographs, so as to give the student in an easily 

 accessible form a more or less complete iconography of the 

 enibryology of each important group of the animal kingdom. 

 It is not intended that these monographs should be handbooks to 

 the subject, but rather act as atlases to accompany any general 

 work on the subject. The plates will be issued in parts, each 

 part covering a somewhat limited field, and occasional appendices 

 maybe published to prevent the plates from becoming antiquated. 

 The illustrations will be accompanied by carefully prepared 

 explanations, and by a bibliography of the subject in octavo. 

 This work, planned out in 1S73, has only now been matured. The 

 first part is on the embryology of Crustacea, with fourteen plates, 

 edited by Walter Faxon. The figures on these plates are taken 

 from all the most reliable sources, and an important volume of 

 bibliography accompanies the atlas. The parts devoted to 

 Echinoderms, Acalephs, and Polyps are well advanced, and it is 

 intended to figure the phenomena connected with fecundation 

 and maturation and the history of the formation of the em- 

 bryonic layers in a separate part, without regard to the systematic 

 zoological connection of the observations. 



Ceratodus forsteri. — Mr. Morton got twelve specimens 

 of this fish in the Mary River, (Queensland, one only in a net ; all 

 the others were trapped by the blacks by being forced through a 

 narrow passage in the river formed by a kind of brushwood. He 

 noticed a curious circumstance as regards their habits. At the time 

 of his visit a number of Eucalyptus trees were in full.flow er by the 

 banks of the river, and as the blossoms dropped into the water they 

 were eagerly seized and swallowed by these fish. The stomachs 

 of each of the specimens captured were literally crammed w ith 

 these flowers. An old resident told Mr. Morton that during 

 June to August these fish go in pairs, that they make slight in- 

 dentations in the muddy bottom in from six to ten feci of water, 

 in which the spawn is deposited, that the male and femdle fish 



remain near the spawn, and are not then easily disturbed, tha' 

 they frequent the same place every year, and that the spawn i'' 

 frog-like. He had taken it and hatched it in a tub of water- 

 keeping the young alive for some weeks. (W. Macleay in /"ri)^- 

 Lin. Soc. New South iVales, vol. viii. part 2, July 17, 1883). 



Glycogen was lately found by M. Errera in fungi of the 

 order Ascomycetes (l;efore, it h.ad only been observed in the 

 animal kingdom and in My.\omycetes, organisms which natura- 

 lists have placed, sometimes among animals, sometimes among 

 plants). Continuing his researches, he now finds the substance 

 {Hull. Belg. Acad., No. 11, 1882), not only in Ascomycetes, but 

 in many Mucorineoe, such as Phyconiyces nilens, Afucor mucedo, 

 and stolonifer, Pilobolus crystallinus, CluetQcladium jfoHsii, 

 Piftocephalis Freseniana, Syiieccphalis nodosa. He has specially 

 studied Phycomyces nitens, the large size of which is an advan- 

 tage, la it the glycogen does not occur in localised masses, as in 

 the Asci of Ascomycetes. When the mycelium filaments are 

 young it is distributed throughout the protoplasm ; later it is 

 carried to the top of the cell which is destined to give rise to the 

 sporangium. Its quantity does not diminish notably during 

 formation of the sporangium, so it does not seem to have a 

 jjreponderant rdle in growth of the membrane. It is found in 

 the spores, and probably another portion serves for respiratory 

 combustion ; the rest may be utilised for growth of membranes 

 of the sporangium-filament and the spores. Having got 40 

 grammes of dried Phycomyces, M. Errera extracted glycogen 

 with all its reactions, confirming the results of micro-chemical 

 analysis. 



MARINE ZOOLOGICAL LABORA TORIES '■ 

 r'T^H E following communication has been forwarded to us by an 

 L- eminent biologist, with the request that it be reproduced in 

 our pages] : — 



Nearly all the European States except England have on 

 their sea-coast marine zoological laboratories ; it may there- 

 fore, especially in view of the recent proposals of Prof. Lan- 

 kester, and the manifesto of biologists which has followed it, 

 perhaps be interesting to your readers to peruse the following 

 description of these laboratories ; they will then be able to 

 appreciate their utility, indeed absolute necessity, in order to 

 ^tudy or pursue investigations in certain branches of science. 



These seaside laboratories, or stations zoologiijues maritimes, 

 have nearly all been founded by zoologists for the purpose of 

 advancing zoological science. Fortunately they also help both 

 students and scientists in other branches of science than that of 

 zoology, the one to arrive at a proficiency of kno« ledge, the 

 other to carry out interesting and valuable researches which, but 

 for this brotherly help, would be impossible. The countless 

 species of marine animals attract physiologists, histologists, and 

 comparative anatomists to work in a field which may reveal facts 

 hitherto undiscovered in that more limited area which is included 

 in the study of terrestrial and fresh-water animals. 



The success of these laboratories is doubtless increased by the 

 fact that they are always in a healthy locality on a bracing sea- 

 shore, so as to allow a realisation of the apparently anomalous 

 combination of work and rest. The scientist, worn out by 

 fatiguing researches made in town laboratories, finds fresh ele- 

 ments of health and a fresh field for research by passing three 

 or four months at a seaside laboratory. 



The first of this class of laboratory is the one founded at Naples 

 by Herr Dohrn, a private enterprise almost exclusively German, 

 which nevertheless has received substantial aid from the city 

 of Naples, and some years hence will become the town 

 property. 



In order to work in the Naples laboratory a heavy fee is 

 exacted. Nearly all the tables are retained yearly by different 

 universities or scientific societies ; the British Association has 

 two tables. The revenue is greatly increased by the fees of 

 admission to an aquarium of marine animals. 



This laboratory is admirably organised ; there is an agreement 

 between the authorities and the fishermen that the latter shall 

 lake to the laboratory all rare animals that they m.ay chance to 

 find ; likewise there is every necessary arrangement for dredging 

 excursions and for diving into the depths of the sea to find such 

 animals as are required for study. There are several sailing 

 boats and a steamboat belonging to the laboratory, which is also 



' From the British Medical Jomnal, October 13, " Special Correspond- 

 ence, Paris." 



