262 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
the structure of these coral islands. The report was published in the 
Proceedings of the Linnean Society for 1917. He has also written a report on. 
a new Enteropneust from the islands, published in Proc. Linn. Soc., 1916. 
The vertebrate fauna has been reported upon by Mr. W. B. Alexander, M.A. 
(Proc. Linn. Soc., 1921). A report upon certain crustacea by Dr. Tattersall is 
in process of publication, and Professor Dendy has the report upon the sponges 
well in hand. A report on the seaweeds has been received from Mr. Lucas, 
M.Sce., of Sydney. Professor Hickson has written a short account of the few 
sea pens captured. The Echinoderms, with the exception of the Holothuria, are 
now in America, and a report from H. L. Clarke is exported shortly. 
The Polychet worms have been investigated by Professor Fauvel, and this 
paper is now in the press (Proc. Linn. Soc., 1921). Other collections are in the 
hands of Miss Thorpe, B.Sc., at Liverpool (Alcyonaria), §. Kemp, M.Sc., at 
Calcutta (certain Crustacea), Dr. J. Pearson at Colombo (Holothurians), and 
S. K. Montgomery, B.A., B.Sc. (Brachyura). 
The remaining specimens are being distributed. ‘The small amount of grant 
remaining has been allotted by the Committee of the Royal Society for aid in 
the publication of the papers. 
The Committee does not apply for reappointment. 
Experiments in Inheritance of Colour in Lepidoptera.— 
Report of the Committee (Prof. W. Barrson, Chairman; Hon. 
H. Onstow, Secretary; Dr. F. A. Drxey, Prof. E. B. Pourron). 
Diaphora (Spilosoma) mendica and var. rustica.—The experiments with this 
' variety were concluded, a sufficient number of the F2 generation having been 
obtained. The results confirm what has been previously reported; the incom- 
pletely dominant white variety segregating from the buff-coloured heterozygous 
as well as from the black type insects. A full report will appear in the Journal 
of Genetics. 
Boarmia consortaria and var. consobrinaria.mA few more families were 
obtained, which point to the view that the melanic variety is hypostatic to the 
intermediate variety, and the latter hypostatic to the type; but the experiments 
are being continued. 
Hemerophila abruptaria and var. fuscata.—The melanic variety behaves 
as a simple Mendelian dominant. The excess of melanics observed by Hamling © 
and Harris must have been due to abnormal circumstances. In captivity a 
second brood may be obtained, and it was observed that a number of such 
insects, among which the mortality was very high, showed a considerable excess 
of melanic over type insects. Probably this excess of melanics was due to a 
mortality which favoured the black form. This supports the view that one 
of the main causes of the spread of melanic forms is due to their constitutional 
hardiness. A full account will appear in the Journal of Genetics. 
Zygcana filipendulce, and the yellow variety.—The families reared in 1920 
indicate that the normal red colour is dominant to the yellow. The experi- 
ments are being continued, but the imagines of 1921 have not yet emerged. 
Abraxas grossulariata and var. varleyata.—The black variety behaves as a 
Mendelian recessive. These experiments were completed, and a full report 
will appear in the Journal of Genetics. In addition, it was found that the 
black pattern of the type form is restricted to about one-third of the total 
area in the fore wings. The factor which causes the limitation of this 
black pattern is dominant to that causing completely black fore wings (var. 
hazeleighensis). This factor is connected with femaleness in such a way that 
the males always appear to have most pigment. 3 
Abraxas grossulariata and var. actinota.—This is a radiated variety of 
the melanic form varleyata. It is sex-linked with maleness, and a female has 
not yet been bred. This is therefore the first case (except in Drosophila) in 
which a character has been found sex-linked both to maleness and femaleness— 
i.e. lacticolor and this radiated variety actinota. The method of inheritance is 
complicated and not yet understood, but it appears to be involved with a lethal 
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