Febkuaby 28, 1913] 



'SCIENCE 



341 



times as though to come thoroughly into con- 

 tact with the seminal fluid. Then it passes 

 quietly along the common duct until that is 

 joined by the T-shaped duct from which the 

 granular yellowish fluid from the vitellaria is 

 churned, as it were, into the oviduct and comes 

 into contact wth the ovum surrounding and 

 adhering to it. Continuing on its course the 

 ovum passes into the wider ootype. Here by 

 a vermicular moulding process the yolk is 

 arranged round the ovum and the form of the 

 egg begins to appear. Prom the ootype, when 

 properly shaped, it passes along to the mus- 

 cular portion of the uterine canal, which 

 receives the openings of the shell gland. In 

 Microcotyle Stenotomi the shell gland appears 

 to be formed of a single mass of cells, the duct 

 from which opens by a wide mouth into the 

 uterus at this point. Generally, however, it 

 is arranged as a mantle of cells about the first 

 portion of the uterus opening by numerous 

 perforations from which exude a chitinous 

 fluid which becomes evenly smeared over the 

 surface of the egg and forms the shell. The 

 egg is now completed with the exception of the 

 long chitinous filaments which are formed by 

 the contractions of the uterus on the soft 

 material. The completed egg passes along 

 into the more distal part of the uterus, where 

 it remains until the worm is ready to deposit 

 it. For this purpose it proceeds to prepare by 

 seizing with its anterior or oral suckers a 

 piece of the gills, but in the case observed 

 under the microscope a bit of waste material 

 was fastened upon because it was convenient. 

 The caudal disc of suckers was also fastened 

 to some support, so that the body was slightly 

 extended. Then a waving motion began, the 

 waves traveling toward the anterior part from 

 the caudal end of the body. After this had 

 lasted for a few seconds the worm began to 

 lash itself up and down, still retaining its hold 

 on the debris to assist its muscular exertions. 

 After the first lashing effort a portion of the 

 anterior coiled filament appeared at the gen- 

 ital aperture; after a short rest a further 

 violent expulsive effort occurred and the 

 pointed end of the egg appeared externally. 

 This was followed by another rest and then 



a still more violent expulsive effort which shot 

 the egg against the waste material, where it 

 remained fastened. The whole process was 

 repeated after another short rest, until five 

 eggs were laid, when a long rest ensued and 

 the observation ended. 



The process of laying the eggs occupied, all 

 told, probably not more than a minute, but it 

 was striking to see the display of some sort 

 of intelligence by the worm in preparing for 

 the expulsive efforts by seizing the waste 

 material as a fixed point from which to pull. 



Although this process of conjugation, fer- 

 tilization and egg-laying could be directly 

 observed only in this transparent form, it 

 seems entirely probable that it is the same in 

 all the microcotylidse.' 



G. A. MacCallum 



981 Madison Ave., 

 New York City 



ANTHMOPOLOGT AT THE CLEVELAND 

 MEETING 



The annual meeting of the American Anthro- 

 pological Association was held at the Case School 

 of Applied Science, Cleveland, Ohio, December 30, 

 1912, to January 2, 1913, in affiliation with Sec- 

 tion H of the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science and the American Folk-Lore 

 Society. In the absence of President Fewkes, 

 Drs. Dorsey, Wissler and MacCurdy each presided 

 at the various sessions. President Lomax, of the 

 Folk-Lore Society was also absent, his place being 

 taken by Dr. Charles Peabody, who read the 

 presidential address. 



SECTION H 



Members of the sectional committee present: 

 G. T. Ladd, E. L. Thorndike, W. V, Bingham, G. 

 G. MacCurdy. 



Officers for the Cleveland meeting were named 

 as follows: member of the council. Dr. Clark 

 Wissler; member of the general committee, Dr. 

 Charles Peabody. Sectional offices were filled by 

 the nomination and election by the general com- 

 mittee of Professor W. B. Pillsbury, University 

 of Michigan, as vice-president for the ensuing 

 year; Professor George Grant MacCurdy, Yale 



' The above observations were made at the Labo- 

 ratory of the XJ. S. Fish Commission at Woods 

 Hole, Mass. ' 



