664 



SCIEXCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1458 



the excavated soil afterward returned. They 

 were square, 3 feet each way at top, 4 feet 

 deep, and open at bottom. Sterilizing the soil 

 was done by a Company railway engine, the 

 soil in each pot being steamed two hours, at 

 110° C. Fourteen pots were thus sterilized and 

 the remaining six were neither sterilized nor 

 inoculated. All the pots were planted with one 

 "bit" of a banana tuber having two "eyes" and 

 in seven of those sterilized these bits were in- 

 oculated with a laboratory culture of Fusarium 

 Cuhense, while the other seven were not in- 

 oculated. The inoculum was a combination of 

 two kinds of culture-mixed at time of applica- 

 tion — one in corn meal decoction and the other 

 in Ushchinski's solution, both originating from 

 rice tube cultures, three weeks previously. It 

 was applied in quantity of about one liter to 

 each pot. Already in February, 1922, one of 

 the inoculated plants showed signs of disease. 

 By April 1 every one of the inoculated plants 

 was diseased and most of them were even then 

 bad cases. Up to July 12, when the writer 

 left Panama, no O'ue of the plants in the in- 

 oculated pots, either sterilized or unsterilized, 

 gave any indication of disease. Besides the 

 added interest that may be attached to this ex- 

 periment, with a different variety of banana in 

 a different locality, the, writer is glad, and 

 others will be, that it confirms the painstaking 

 work of Dr. Brandes. It should be added that 

 Dr. J. R. Johnston, director of tropical re- 

 search for the United Fruit Company pro- 

 posed the experiment, in which the writer was 

 also supported and encouraged by the manager, 

 H. S. Blair, and by H. L. Peck, E. C. Adams, 

 and other men of the Company. 



Mark Alfred Carleton 

 CuTAMEL, Honduras 



FRESH WATER COELENTERATA IN 

 KENTUCKY 



In IQie"- the writer called attention to an 

 extraordinary appearance of the rare fresh- 

 water medusa, Craspedacusta sowerbyi, in a 

 Kentucky creek, when it was present literally 

 by the thousands, and expressed his intention to 

 make a search for the hydroid stage of the 



1 Science, Vol. XLIV, page 858. 



jellyfish, since the indications were that where 

 so many of the sexual form occurred there 

 should be a good prospect of finding the asexual 

 stage. With this in view visits have been made 

 from time to time to the place where the meduste 

 were found. In 1917, a year after they were 

 first observed, they were present again in as 

 great numbers as in the preceding year-; still 

 no trace of a hydroid condition could be found. 

 Each year thereafter the place was searched, 

 but they have not been seen since 1917. It 

 may be of interest to record, however, that this 

 year (September 26) when examining the lo- 

 cality, some fine growths of the hydroid Cor- 

 dylophora^ were obtained in the part of the 

 stream where Craspedacusta was discovered. 

 There can be no doubt about this material 

 representing Cordylophora lacustris, and this 

 interesting fresh-water hydroid is thus given a 

 new locality in which it is associated in a way 

 with Craspedacusta. The growths are attached 

 to living willow twig's that by the drooping of 

 branches have become immersed in the water. 



Harrison' Garman 

 Univeesitt op Kentucky 

 Lexington, Kt. 



AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN SCIENCE 

 To THE Editor op Science : I am glad to be 

 able to inform you that in response to my ap- 

 peal on behalf of Professor W. Boldyreff, pub- 

 lished in Science of October 27 under the 

 heading, "An Opportunity," I received prompt- 

 ly a ■numiber of requests for special information 

 concerning Dr. Boldyreff's qualifications, and 

 that as a result of these inquiries he has now 

 received an appointment for a year in a dig- 

 nified position which will give him excellent 

 opportunity for research work and an income 

 to keep liimself and family alive. 



Vernon Kellogg 

 National Eeseaech Council, 

 Washington, D. C, 

 November 28, 1922 



2 Professor Hargitt in commentiug on tlie mat- 

 ter (Science, L. 1919, page 413) was wrong iu 

 inferring that tliey disapijearecl at once. 



3 A medusa stage is believed not to be produced 

 by this hydroid. 



