596 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LI. No. 1328 



highly differentiated action, increases in size and 

 changes dn forms after a manner which presents 

 important possibilities in the behavior of cell-or- 

 gans. 



Bespiration: W. J. V. Osterhout, professor of 

 botany, Harvard University. A simple method of 

 measuring respiration has been developed whereby 

 determinations can be made at frequent intervals 

 (as often as once every three minutes). The ap- 

 plication of this method to the study of anesthesia 

 shows the incorrectness of the theory of Verworn, 

 according to which anesthesia is a kind of asphyxia, 

 due to the inhibition of respiration by the anes- 

 thetic. In the study of antagonism it is found 

 that the antagonistic substances may increase or 

 decrease respiration, but when properly combined 

 they show little or no interference with normal 

 respiration. The study of the action of acids and 

 alkalies shows that these substances may increase 

 or decrease respiration and that the effect varies 

 greatly with different organisms. 



The behavior of the sulfurea character in crosses 

 with CEnothera biennis and with CEnothera fran- 

 oiscana: Bradley M. Davis, professor of botany, 

 tJniversity of Michigan. • 



CEnothera funifolia, a peculiar new mutant from 

 CEnothera lamarchiana. 



A third duplication of generic factors in Shep- 

 herd's purse: George H. Shull, Ph.D., professor 

 of botany and genetics, Princeton University. In 

 the third generation of a cross between a wild 

 biotype of the common shepherd 's-purse {Bursa 

 bursa-pastoris) from Wales and Heeger ' s shep- 

 herd 's-.puTse {B. Heegeri) there appeared a small 

 number of plants of unique type, having a more 

 coriaceous texture than in the plants of either of 

 the two original strains involved in the cross. This 

 new type has been designated coriacea. It differs 

 from the common form, not only in texture, but 

 the lobing of the leaf is reduced and simplified and 

 the angles of the lobes are almost spinescent. The 

 proportion of coriacea to the typical sibs in this 

 F3 family was 12 : 187 or almost exactly a 1 : 15 

 ratio. This suggested at once the presence of two 

 independently inherited factors for the normal 

 texture, the coriacea type being produced only when 

 these two factors K and L were absent. Subse- 

 quent breeding has shown that coriacea breeds 

 true when selfed, and has also confirmed the inter- 

 pretation of this as a third case of duplication of 

 factors in this species. The two characters previ- 

 ously shown to be thus constituted are the tri- 

 angular form of capsule, and the division of the 

 leaf to the midrib which brings to light the char- 



acteristic lobing found in the form designated 

 rlmmboidea. The duplication of the capsule de- 

 terminers is practically universal while that of the 

 leaf-lobe factor is less frequently found. Studies 

 on the coriacea character are still too limited in 

 extent to justify a statement as to the prevalence 

 of duplication of the factor for the usual texture 

 of the leaves. 



Some effects of double fertilization in maize: 

 Edward M. East, Ph.D., professor of experimental 

 plant morphology. Harvard University. 



The cliemistry of the cell: Thomas B. Osborne, 

 Ph.D., Sc.D., research chemist, Connecticut Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station. (Introduced by Dr. 

 Harry P. Keller.) 



The relation of oxygen to charcoal: George A. 

 HuLETT, Ph.D., professor of physical chemistry, 

 Princeton University. 



Products of detonation of TNT: Charles B. 

 MuNROE, Ph.D., LL.D., professor of chemistry, 

 George Washington University, and S. P. Howell. 

 TNT has not only proved a most eflicient explosive 

 for war purposes but, following the advice of the 

 Bureau of Mines, the surplus has been now used in 

 large quantities on various public projects with 

 remarkable success, thus completely disproving the 

 opinions given in various quarters following the 

 armistice that it was unfi.t for industrial use, dan- 

 gerous to store, and should be thrown away. Not- 

 withstanding the success attained it is believed 

 that with a more complete knowledge of its be- 

 havior even better results in its use both for mili- 

 tary and industrial purposes could be attained. 

 It is particularly desired to know the kind and 

 quantities of products it yields on explosions. 

 These are known broadly but it is also now known 

 that they vary with the different conditions under 

 whioh the TNT is exploded and this study has 

 been made to gain more precise information re- 

 garding these conditions. It is already known that 

 among the products are considerable quantities of 

 carbon monoxide, hydrogen and some hydrocarbons, 

 such as methane, together with free carbon in a 

 soot-like form. Hence TNT is not suitable for use 

 in underground work or close places because the gas 

 evolved is poisonous and inflammable and can form 

 explosive mixtures with the atmosphere in these 

 close places. 



A new map of the vegetation of North America : 

 John W. Harshberger, Ph.D., professor of bot- 

 any. University of Pennsylvania. 



On the vibrations of rifle barrels: Arthur Gor- 

 don Webster, Sc.D., LL.D., professor of physics, 

 Olark University. 



