Apbil 1, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



515 



the primary spermatocytes. The heterochro- 

 mosome in the vesicular nucleus of the pri- 

 mary spermatocytes is a small element com- 

 posed of two halves lying to one side of the 

 two tetrads. In the first maturation division 

 the two halves of the heterochromosome are. 

 distributed to the two daughter cells and in 

 the second maturation division, the now 

 simple heterochromosome passes over un- 

 divided to one spermatid. So one half of the 

 spermatozoa contain the well-knovm two rod- 

 formed elements, while the remaining sperma- 

 tozoa possess in addition to the two large 

 chromosomes, the small heterochromosome. 

 There can he scarcely any doubt that this ele- 

 ment is identical with the " small chromo- 

 some " described by Miss Boring for a part of 

 the fertilized eggs. 



In Ascaris lumbricoides I have found the 

 sex-determinant in the form of a group of 

 five univalent chromosomes passing undivided 

 to one daughter cell in the first maturation 

 division so that one haK of the secondary 

 spermatocytes, and consequently one half of 

 the spermatozoa, have 19, the other half, 24, 

 chromosomes. This type has some similarity 

 with that of Qelastocoris described by Pajme,^ 

 but differs from it in this respect that in As- 

 caris lumbricoides all five constituents of the 

 group go to one daughter-cell. 



Charles L. Edwards 



Zoological Institute, 



UnIVEESITY of WtJEZBUEQ 



TEE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEE 



TEACHERS OF THE MATHEMATICAL 



AND NATURAL SCIENCES 



The annual meeting of the council of the 

 American Federation was held on Monday, De- 

 cember 27, 1909, at the Massachusetts Institute 

 of Technology in Boston, Mass. There were 

 twenty-two representatives of eight associations 

 present. The report of the executive committee 

 showed that six associations had joined the fed- 

 eration during the past year. The total number 

 of paid-up members in the associations that be- 

 long to the federation now amounts to 2,040. 



Reports were presented from the local associa- 

 tions showing activity and progressive work in all. 



"Biol. Bull, V. 14, 1908. 



The committee on bibliography of science 

 teaching reported that its work was completed 

 and urged the federation to get the bibliography 

 printed as soon as possible. 



The committee on a syllabus in geometry re- 

 ported that work was well under way. The com- 

 mittee has been divided into three sub-committees, 

 one on logical considerations, one on lists of basal 

 theorems and one on exercises and applications. 

 The committee expects to have its work completed 

 during the coming year. 



The committee on college entrance requirements 

 had gathered a large amount of information 

 which showed the great variation in the require- 

 ments of the different colleges and showed that it 

 was impossible for any school to meet them all. 

 The committee recommended that the federation 

 take up this matter with the College Entrance 

 Examination Board and see what can be done 

 toward bringing about uniformity. The report 

 was accepted as a report of progress and the 

 committee continued and urged to carry on the 

 work. 



The committee on publication recommended that 

 the federation publish its reports in School Soi- 

 ence and Mathematics and such other journals as 

 would accept them and urged that the local asso- 

 ciations send their reports of their meetings to 

 School Science and Mathematics promptly and 

 regularly. The report was accepted as a report 

 of progress and the committee continued. 



The New England Association of Chemistry 

 Teachers presented a request that the federation 

 appoint a committee to make suggestions for 

 changes in the deiinition of the requirement in 

 chemistry and that the federation should bring 

 this matter to the attention of the College En- 

 trance Examination Board. The request was 

 approved. 



A letter from the College Entrance Examination 

 Board asked cooperation of the federation in 

 determining what form of logarithm tables were 

 best to study for examination purposes. It was 

 voted that a committee be appointed by the chair 

 in accordance with the wishes of the college board. 



The question of the publication of a journal for 

 mathematics alone was discussed at some length 

 and it was voted that a committee be appointed 

 to consider this question and report at the next 

 meeting. 



Informal reports of progress were presented by 

 members of the International Commission on 

 Teaching of Mathematics. 



The nominating committee reported nominations 



