MATURATION IN EGGS OF LIMPETS BY CHEMICAL MEANS. 349 



mature much more rapidly than by the treatment with alkali. 

 Usually from three fourths to one hour after treatment the eggs 

 will be mature, whereas when the eggs are simply treated with 

 the alkaline sea water maturation rarely takes place in less than 

 two hours. 



Table IV. 



The maturation induced by the treatment with benzol is also 

 an oxidative process, since it does not occur when the oxidations 

 are prevented in the egg. The addition of 1 c.c. 1/10 per cent 

 potassium cyanide to the sea water inhibits the maturation of the 

 eggs treated with benzol, and it is especially noteworthy that not 

 a trace of disintegration is present in the eggs that were over- 

 exposed to the solution in the presence of potassium cyanide. 

 With the other fat solvents I have not as yet been able to get 

 such a large percentage to develop as the table below will show. 



Table V. 



These last experiments were not worked out as thoroughly as 

 those with benzol on account of the lack of material, but we can 

 readily see that all the solutions tried give positive results. 



