422 



SCIENCE. 



[X. S. Vol. XXIII. No. 585. 



separately; next year it will meet in New 

 York, as part of the new society. 



The papers presented before the meeting 

 were the following. All were presented 

 in full and discussed. The abstracts are 

 by the authors. 



The hiduction of New Species: Dr. D. T. 

 IMacDougal, Carnegie Institution. 

 The author described some experimental 

 researches by which forms, potentially new 

 species, were secured as a result of chemical 

 and osmotic action exerted on unfertilized 

 ovules. Solutions were injected into the 

 ovaries of Raimannia immediately previous 

 to pollination and fertilization, which then 

 apparently ensued in a normal manner. 

 Among the seeds secured were a number 

 which produced plantlets, differing from 

 the normal, or typical of the species, nota- 

 bly in physiological qualities and general 

 anatomy. Some of the atypical derivatives 

 thus secured had come to maturity and 

 produced seeds, and are to be considered as 

 mutants of the parental type. The series 

 of experiments demonstrates conclusively 

 that factors external to the protoplast may 

 exert a profound influence upon its heredi- 

 tary characters, and call out qualities not 

 hitherto exhibited externally by the line of 

 descent affected. 



The author had not yet succeeded in 

 analyzing the manner in which the treat- 

 ment described had influenced the normal 

 activity of the embryonic cells, but sug- 

 gested that the readiest explanation lay in 

 the suggestion that the externally applied 

 reagents had interfered with the normal 

 course of the succession of the enzymes 

 during the stages immediately preceding 

 egg-formation, and also that the results 

 were indicative of unequal influence upon 

 individualized chromosomes. 

 Some Factors Concerned in Color Produc- 

 tion in a Species of Fusarium: Dr. J. B. 

 Pollock, University of Michigan. 



The species of Fusarium iised was ob- 

 tained from the cut ends of Indian corn 

 stubble, in autumn. One of its characters 

 is the bright salmon-pink color usually 

 found under natural conditions. This 

 color also develops on many artificial 

 media, under proper conditions. Among 

 the conditions necessary for its develop- 

 ment, direct sunlight, or at least strong 

 light, is of primary importance. Diffuse 

 light is scarcely any better than complete 

 darkness. In absence of light only a pale 

 cream color is produced, generally without 

 the faintest tinge of red. 



Cultures removed from diffuse light to 

 direct sunlight showed a marked develop- 

 ment of color within five hours. 



Moisture also has a considerable influence 

 on the development of color. The moister 

 the medium the less the color shows, but 

 even submerged in a liquid medium there 

 may be some color produced in light. Be- 

 sides light and moisture, the composition 

 of the medium also influences the produc- 

 tion of the red color. Under similar con- 

 ditions of light and moisture, after seven 

 days' growth, the red color was very pale 

 on cornstarch, while on carrot, hubbard 

 squash and cornmeal the color was between 

 roseous and testaceous of Saccardo's color 

 chart; on apple, onion and potato it was 

 almost exactly ochraceous, on wheat flour 

 it was slightly paler than orange, and on 

 buckwheat flour it was darkest red, slightly 

 redder than testaceous. 



On raw dahlia tubers the growth be- 

 comes bright red, but if they are steamed 

 in the autoclave almost no red color is pro- 

 duced even in the light. Also on steamed 

 dahlia tubers the fungus produces a green 

 color, and this was produced on no other 

 medium used. All the soft tissue of the 

 medium turns green, and on some cultures 

 the fungus growth above the surface is 



