468 
of 90°, as in other Hydromeduse. In its anat- 
omy it is related to the genus Hpenthesis, being 
indeed very close to E. folleata, which also oc- 
curs at the Tortugas. It is probably the de- 
scendant of some Epenthesis, and seems to be a 
newly-arisen species. No studies have as yet 
been made by zoologists upon the variations of 
such forms. The medusa is highly variable. 
Out of 1,000 individuals 703 are normal ra- 
dially symmetrical medusz, with five radial 
canals and five lips at intervals of 72°, while 
297 are abnormal in some respect, having 4, 3, 
2, or 6, 7, 8 canals or lips. It is remarkable 
that fully 50 per cent. of the abnormal individ- 
uals are radially-symmetrical. The greater the 
departure from the normal form the smaller is 
the ratio of radially-symmetrical individuals. 
Thus only 11.2 per cent. of the meduse having 
five canals areirregular, while 30 to 33 per cent. 
of those with four or six canals are irregular ; 
in medusz with seven or three canals 50 per 
cent. ‘are irregular, while 100 per cent. of 
those with two or eight canals are so. The lips 
show a decided tendency to revert to the an- 
cestral number of four, at intervals of 90°, but 
the canals, on the contrary, incline toward the 
higher numbers. We have here a medusa 
which is continually producing radially-sym- 
metrical sports, and is initiating, so to speak, 
what might become new species were condi- 
tions favorable. On comparing the variations 
of P. pentata with those of EF. folleata or Eucope, 
one is struck with many remarkable family 
likenesses. This is especially true in the for- 
mer comparison. The similarity of the varia- 
tions, the likeness of their abnormalities in 
these closely-related forms, indicate apparently 
aracekinship. Theabnormal young of P. pen- 
tata appear to survive fully as well as normal 
individuals, and abnormal medusz mature their 
gonads quite as commonly as the normal forms. 
The former are not weeded out by natural se- 
lection, yet they have not succeeded in estab- 
lishing new types of medusz. 
In discussion of Dr. Mayer’s paper, Dr. Mac- 
Dougal spoke of a sport of Populus tremuloides, 
discovered by Dr. Britton, in which the irrita- 
bility to gravity of the leaves had been reversed 
so that they now pointed downwards. The re- 
versal appeared in the buds. New plants prop- 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. XIII.. No. 325. 
agated by grafting retained the positive ge- 
otropism of the leaves. It was also stated that 
the ‘weeping’ varieties of certain trees were 
usually produced in this way. 
HENRY E. CRAMPTON, 
Secretary. 
SECTION OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY 
OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY 
OF SCIENCES. 
A REGULAR meeting of the Section was held 
on February 15th. Dr. D. R. Major reported 
the results of physical and mental tests on 
school children of high and of low class standing, 
the aim of these tests being to discover what 
relation, if any, exists between class standing 
and the ability shown in the particular tests 
used. The tests were as follows: Visual and 
auditory memory for figures and words, strik- 
ing out of A’s, naming 100 words, copying 
of figures, weight discrimination, perception of 
size, sensation-area test as used in the Columbia 
laboratory, eyesight, age and talkativeness. 
The tests were made on 150 New York City 
school children, 68 having high class standing, 
82 low. ‘The results of the tests tend to show 
that the class standing bears a close relation to 
the ability to pronounce words, to carefulness 
or accuracy in striking out A’s, to memory for 
‘words, to eyesight, to age (the average age of the 
good pupils being less than the average age of 
the class), and to talkativeness (the good pupils 
being as a rule talkative). There is apparently 
little, if any, relation between class standing 
and the ability shown in the other tests men- 
tioned. The study, however, is not com- 
pleted and the opinions expressed here are sub- 
ject to change. In addition to the use made of 
the standard psychological tests, an attempt is 
being made to devise tests to determine the 
presence, nature, and quality or worth of ap- 
perceptive activities. 
The second paper by Mr. E. A. Spitzka des- 
scribed with special reference to their similari- 
ties, the brains of two distinguished physicians, 
Dr. Edouard Seguin, and his son, Dr. Edward 
C. Seguin. The most striking similarity dis- 
coverable in these brains is the unusual de- 
velopment in the left Insula, This similarity was 
attributed by the author to heredity, and was 
