544 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 43. 



may disappear. It is expected that the 

 singular behavior of these eggs will throw 

 some light upon the physiology of growth 

 in the embryos. It has been the good 

 fortune also of another of our number, Dr. 

 Lewis Murbach, to have obtained the eggs 

 of the beautiful medusa Gonionemus, which 

 this season has been unusually abundant 

 in the 'eel pond.' An account of the oc- 

 currence of the adult in this locality is be- 

 ing prepared, while material for a very 

 complete study of the development has also 

 been secured. This piece of investigation 

 is well under way and has contributed 

 much of interest to all who have followed its 

 progress. Interesting stages in the larval de- 

 velopment of Perophora have been observed 

 by Mr. George Lefevre, as the free swimming- 

 tadpole larva settles down to the fixed state, 

 with loss of tail and sense organs. 



Much cytological study has been directed 

 upon the ganglion cells of the central nervous 

 system. The center of this line of research 

 was at the room of Dr. Ira Van Gieson, 

 who, with his assistant, Mr. I. Strauss, made 

 many careful preparations of the ganglia of 

 the invertebrates, Mollusca, Tunicata, An- 

 nelida, for comparative study ; while some 

 of the clearest results were obtained from 

 the large motor cells from the brain of the 

 Torpedo. Neurological work in other di- 

 rections has attracted several investigators, 

 and one might mention in this connection 

 the very successful application of the me- 

 thyline blue method by Mr. J. E. Peabody 

 to the study of the distribution of the nerve 

 termini in the sense ampullte of the dogfish 

 and Torpedo. The work — originallj^ sug- 

 gested and directed by Professor H. Ayres — 

 is tending toward important results as to 

 the sensory or glandular nature of these 

 characteristic structures. Altogether, in- 

 cluding several students working under the 

 direction of the investigators before men- 

 tioned, thei-e have been seven of our number 

 engaged in special study of nerves by means 



of Nissl's method, the Golgi, Weigert and 

 methjiine blue methods. 



Another line of research, by Dr. T. H. 

 Montgomery, Jr., was concerned with the 

 histology of the Nemertine worms, and has 

 added manj^ interesting features to the 

 anatomy, histologj- and embrj'ologj' of that 

 group, especial attention having been paid 

 this season to the development of the pro- 

 boscis. 



It is very encouraging to note how much 

 of the work heretofore enumerated is defi- 

 nitely upon its waj' to publication by the 

 authors. Some of it is alreadj' promised to 

 leading journals; some of it will be incor- 

 porated in theses to be offered for the degree 

 of Doctor of Philosophy at our universi- 

 ties, and all of it will, I believe, find its way 

 into important and useful channels. One 

 piece of research, bj' the present writer, was 

 advanced directly under the auspices of the 

 U. S. Fish Commission. This relates to the 

 food of fish fry, especially of the earliest 

 stages after the embryo becomes capable of 

 free-swimming existence and able to take 

 food ; the nature of the food of fry of from 

 a quarter to half an inch in length of several 

 families is demonstrated, while the results 

 will be published, together with previous 

 studies upon planktonic material and the 

 food of certain adult fishes, for the Fish 

 Commission. 



Much might be said about the students 

 who have come to this station for their first 

 seaside studies, who ask common questions 

 about common things, or common questions 

 about rare things, or sometimes rare ques- 

 tions about comruon things. Their work 

 never grows old, is never finished, and seems 

 more important each year than it did the 

 year before. Inasmuch as no regular in- 

 struction is provided at the laboratory, much 

 depends upon the careful outlines of work 

 to be furnished students who come here 

 alone by those who have them in charge. 

 Great help can be given to students by fur- 



