Septembek 23, 1921] 



SCIENCE 



279 



probable that the X-chromosomes may pass 

 through that stage at a time different from 

 that at which the other chromosomes pass. 

 This would account for the production of the 

 exceptional white-eyed males in the experi- 

 ments if we consider that the X-rays were ap- 

 plied to the particular germ cell at a time 

 when only the X-chromosome was in a condi- 

 tion suceptible to the dose given. 



The writer wishes to express his great in- 

 debtedness to Dr. Willis R. Whitney, director 

 of the Research Laboratory of the General 

 Electric Company at whose suggestion work 

 on fruit-flies was undertaken and without 

 whose cooperation it could hardly have been 

 done. He is also indebted to Mr. O. J. Irish 

 for accurate and careful "work as technical 

 assistant throughout the investigation. 



James W. IIavor 

 Union College, 



Schenectady, N. T. 



epidemic pneumonia in reptiles 

 During the spring and early summer months 

 of 1919 there occurred an epidemic among 

 the reptiles kept in captivity in the Bronx 

 Zoological Gardens which resulted in the death 

 of many of them. 



The clinical course of this disease, if it may 

 be considered the same disease in all, was diffi- 

 cult to follow on account of the well-known 

 sluggishness of these animals, which often re- 

 main quiet for a long time and fail to eat 

 anything. For this reason the attention of the 

 caretakers was seldom attracted to sick ani- 

 mals until they were found dead. In some 

 cases, however, it was observed that they suf- 

 fered from an intense dyspnoea and held their 

 mouths open in the effort to breathe. Others 

 emitted a frothy, slimy exudate from the 

 mouth and nostrils. Even then it was difficult 

 to observe any other symptoms and the attempt 

 to secure a series of observations on the tem- 

 perature of the sick animals for comparison 

 with that of several normal ones of the same 

 sort could not be carried out successfully. 



A great number of those which died were 

 sent to the laboratory for autopsy and it is 

 interesting that several turtles sent from the 



ISTew York Aquarium were found to have died 

 from the same disease. Careful autopsies 

 were made upon all these animals and cultures 

 and smears taken from the lungs and upper 

 respiratory tract and usually also from the 

 heart's blood. Other snakes and some rabbits, 

 rats and mice were inoculated with the cul- 

 tures derived from these cases. 



Cases of pneumonia were studied at autopsy 

 in the following animals, often in many indi- 

 viduals of the same species: Iguana tuhercu- 

 laia, Zamenis lamelliformis (Texas rattle- 

 snake), Trachyurus rugosus (stump-tailed 

 lizard), Grotalus atrox (Florida rattlesnake), 

 Ancistrodon coniortrix (copperhead), Vara- 

 nus gouldi (Australian monitor), Spilotes 

 corais (blacksnake), Tupinainbis teguexin 

 (yellow tegu), Pityophis sayi (bull snake), 

 Alligator mississippiensis. Anaconda, Che- 

 Ionia imhricata (hawksbill turtle), Eutcenia 

 sirtalis (garter snake), Goluher guttatus, Tha- 

 lassochelys caretta (loggerhead turtle), Helo- 

 derma suspechini (gila monster), Ophi- 

 bolus getulus (king snake), Chrysemys ele- 

 gans (Cumberland turtle), Chrysemys picta 

 (painted turtle), Tropidonotus fasciatus 

 (water snake), Heterodon platyrrhinus, and 

 Zamenis flagelliforTnis. 



The autopsies on these animals as a rule 

 revealed a partial consolidation of the tubular 

 spongy lung, various diverticula of the main 

 bronchial cavity with their air cells being 

 filled with an opaque blood-stained grayish 

 exudate with occasional hsemorrhages in the 

 surrounding tissue. In one instance (Vara- 

 nus) there was also an acute pericarditis with 

 yellowish effusion upon the surface of the 

 heart. 



Smears from the consolidated portions of 

 such lungs showed the' presence of great num- 

 bers of rather small gram negative bacilli, 

 sometimes with a slight admixture of gram 

 positive diplococcoid organisms but usually in 

 practically pure culture. 



Microscopically, the condition was fairly 

 uniform in all. In Crotalus air ox many of 

 the wide air cells were distended with compact 

 masses of cellular exudate composed chiefly 

 of leucocytes which are large with round vesic- 



