318 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 818 



lytes would diffuse out of fertilized eggs, thus 

 lowering the internal osmotic pressure to a 

 greater extent than from unfertilized eggs. 

 This would make the ratio of external to in- 

 ternal osmotic pressure greater in the former 

 than in the latter case. 



In testing this prediction hy experiment, 

 urea solutions were found to be so toxic as to 

 interfere with the observations. Sugar solu- 

 tions, however, gave the expected results. If 

 fertilized and unfertilized eggs be placed in 

 a molecular solution of cane or invert sugar 

 (approximately isosmotic with sea water) and 

 observed under the microscope, the fertilized 

 eggs appear small and sometimes irregular in 

 outline, whereas the unfertilized eggs appear 

 normal. This diilerence is observed before 

 the formation of the " hyaline plasma layer " 

 in the fertilized eggs, so their shrinking is 

 real, i. e., not due to a receding of the granules 

 toward the interior. 



I made series of measurements of the di- 

 ameters of eggs treated in this manner, of 

 which the following are specimens: 



One drop of a molecular solution of dextrose 

 contained eggs of the following measurements : 

 unfertilized, 85, 84, 81, 84, 82, 84, 85, 85, 80, 

 85, 83, 85, 83, 85, 84, 83, 82, 86, 83 (mean==: 

 83) ; fertilized, 80, 85, 80, 80, 75, 74, 70, 66, 

 67, 66, 80, 67, 78, 80, 80, 69, 70, 68, 80, 77 

 (mean = 76). As a control, a drop of sea 

 water containing fertilized and unfertilized 

 eggs was investigated and recorded as follows : 

 unfertilized, 88, 85, 82, 90, 90, 82, 75, 82, 75, 

 85 (mean = 83) ; fertilized, 83, 80, 83, 90, 90, 

 82, 93, 82, 95, 80, 92 (mean = 86). 



It thus appears that whereas in sea water 

 fertilized eggs are not smaller than unfertil- 

 ized, in a molecular solution of sugar fertilized 

 eggs are plasmolyzed faster than are unfertil- 

 ized eggs, indicating greater permeability of 

 the fertilized eggs to electrolytes, or of the 

 urLfertilized eggs to sugar. As the former 

 alternative agrees with previous data above 

 mentioned, we assume it to be the correct one. 



We thus have three demonstrations of the 

 increase in permeability of the egg to electro- 

 lytes at the beginning of development : (1) 

 the decrease in electrical resistance, (2) the 



less rapid disintegration of the anode region 

 and (3) the increased plasmolysis. 



The second demonstration, if found true in 

 other cases, would account also for the diiler- 

 ence in electrical potential between the in- 

 terior and exterior of the living cell, and the 

 negative variation in nerve and muscle. The 

 anions (of any electrolyte in greater concen- 

 tration in the interior than on the exterior) 

 that are prevented from escaping would make 

 the interior negative in relation to the ex- 

 terior; and a surface area of increased per- 

 meability would be negative in relation to the 

 remainder of the surface. A band of in- 

 creased permeability causing increased surface 

 tension around the equator of the dividing egg 

 would account for the constriction of the first 

 cleavage furrow. J. F. McClendon 



U. S. Bttreau of Fisheries, 

 Woods Hole, JIass., 

 August 8, 1910 



SAN FRANCISCO MEETING OF THE AMER- 

 ICAN CEEMICAL SOCIETY 



The meeting of the American Chemical Society 

 in San Francisco and the sightseeing and enter- 

 tainments enjoyed there and en route will always 

 be remembered by those who attended as one of 

 the pleasantest memories of their lives. 



The members taking the special train, some 1 10 

 in number, gathered at the. La Salle Hotel in 

 Chicago on July 4, where they were entertained 

 at luncheon as the guests of the Chicago Section. 



The special train, furnished by the Santa Fe 

 Eoad, was composed of the Pullman Company's 

 finest equipment, eleetric-light«d throughout, with 

 observation, library and buffet cars. 



The first stop was made at Colorado Springs, 

 where most of the members took the trip to Pikes 

 Peak and to the Garden of the Gods, while others 

 contented themselves with the attractions around 

 Manitou and the Cheyenne Canyon. 



On the following morning the train stopped 

 for a short period at Albuquerque and reached 

 Adamana at one o'clock, where carriages and 

 wagons were in waiting to take the party to the 

 Petrified Forest, some twelve miles distant. 

 Although the sun shone brightly, no inconvenience 

 was experienced, owing to the altitude and the- 

 dryness of the atmosphere, and all were repaid by 

 the wonders awaiting them. 



