SPERM AGGLUTINATION AND FERTILIZATION. 25 



At 4.25 P.M. the eggs were washed again 5/0.7 c.c. and the new 

 fluid gave a 14-second reaction. The next morning the same 

 eggs were washed again 5.5/1 c.c. The new fluid gave a 6-7- 

 second reaction. 



These results may be expressed in a different wa^^ : thus in an 

 experiment of July 20, a series of eight successive washings of eggs 

 deprived of jelly by acid sea-water represented a dilution of the 

 agglutinating substance contained in the acid sea-water remaining 

 with the eggs of 12,700,800 times. But the acid solvent itself 

 was negative at 1/800 dilution: it was of 400 agglutinating 

 power. In other words, after the removal of the jelly the eggs 

 themselves had produced a sufficient quantity of the agglutin- 

 ating substance to account for the tremendous difference; and 

 they were still producing it. 



These eggs without jelly are fertilizable, as Loeb states, but 

 only 37 per cent, segmented in a heavy insemination of the first 

 day in the experiment of July 17, and only a small part of these 

 developed to the ciliated stage, none of which were normal, most 

 being stereoblastulae and incapable of farther development. 

 The result is entirely similar to that described in my last paper 

 (study VI, '14) for the fertilization of eggs deprived of jelly by 

 shaking and subsequent washing. 



The same experiment was repeated on July 18, 20 and 21, with 

 identical results: the eggs from which jelly i^entirely removed 

 by HCl continue to produce the sperm-agglutinating substance 

 (fertilizin) so long as they live, but their capacity for development 

 after fertilization is much reduced. 



In all experiments at least three concentrations of acid were 

 used, and in each experiment it was observed that when the con- 

 centration was sufificient to dissolve the jelly there was a good 

 deal of agglutination of the eggs, and in the later washings a 

 great many eggs broke down liberating their pigment. As I 

 have previousl}^ shown, broken-down eggs liberate a substance 

 (anti-fertilizin) which neutralizes the sperm agglutinating action 

 of the fertilizin. Therefore, when a sufficient percentage of the 

 eggs are breaking down, the production of sperm-agglutinating 

 substance (fertilizin) by intact eggs may be entirely masked. 



I have no intention of disputing Professor Loeb's observations 



