266 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIII. No. 842 



occasionally interpreted as such, being yolk cells 

 attached to the ova during or after their passage 

 to the uterus. These observations support the 

 view previously advanced that cytological pro- 

 cesses in cestodes are degenerating in correspond- 

 ence with the general degenerate character of 

 these worms. 



Full account to be published elsewhere. 



The Biology of the Sand-Hill Region of Nebraska: 

 Robert H. Wolcott, University of Nebraska. 

 In Science for May 19, 1905, appeared a state- 

 ment in regard to a faunal survey of this region 

 which had been already inaugurated. Soon after 

 the publication of this statement, conditions arose 

 which interfered with the further prosecution of 

 this work, and in the five years which have inter- 

 vened only occasional short trips to the region 

 have been made. During the past season, how- 

 ever, work was actively resumed by the collecting 

 of water samples from the different lakes and the 

 collection of additional data and specimens bear- 

 ing on the topography and fauna of the lake 

 region. A preliminary chemical examination of 

 these water samples shows that the lakes vary in 

 strength of alkali, expressed in terms of CO3 and 

 HCO3 ions, from .06 of a gram per liter to 1.61 

 grams per liter — a difference of more than 25 

 times. The most highly alkaline of these lakes 

 is not as alkaline as many other lakes which have 

 been investigated in the far west, but the close 

 proximity to one another, the exact similarity in 

 every other respect than alkali content, and the 

 fact that the alkalinity in the strongest of these 

 lakes surpasses a percentage which apparently 

 most of the forms present in the freshest lakes 

 can not resist, seem to make it probable that the 

 results of a careful qualitative analysis of the 

 life of the different lakes will yield very interest- 

 ing results. Arrangements have been perfected 

 whereby a party is to be maintained in the region 

 throughout the coming summer, and it is expected 

 that in this way a sufficient amount of material 

 can be gathered to allow of the formal presenta- 

 tion of results^ at least so far as certain phases 

 of the work are concerned. 



The Olfactory Organs and the Sense of Smell in 

 Birds : R. M. Strong, the University of Chicago. 

 A report was given of a comparative study of 

 the organs of smell in various groups of birds. 

 Results of experimental studies of the olfactory 

 sense in ring-doves were also described. Evidence 

 was obtained in this work that at least many 



birds probably have an olfactory sense. It is not 

 likely, however, that the sense of smell is ever 

 very keen in birds. A full account has been pre- 

 pared for publication elsewhere. 



Results of Breeding Experiments with Ring- 

 Doves: R. M. Strong, the University of Chi- 

 cago. 



Crossing experiments with white and blond 

 ring-doves were carried on during a period of five 

 years. In the first generation^ the hybrids re- 

 sembled one parent or the other in equal numbers. 

 The blond hybrids were mostly males and the 

 white hybrids were all females. The original 

 stock was found to breed true, but the blond 

 hybrids behaved as heterozygotes. A full account 

 of the results obtained will appear later. 



The Cranial Nerves of Siren laoertina: H. W. 



Norris, Grinnell College. 



The olfactory nerve is double. Anastomoses be- 

 tween the fifth and seventh nerves; general cu- 

 taneous fibers from the fifth and lateral line fibers 

 from the seventh form a supra-orbital trunk, and 

 similar fibers form an infra-orbital trunk; from 

 the latter general cutaneous and lateral line fibers 

 unite with a branch of the ophthalmicus pro- 

 fundus to form a nerve that sends its lateral line 

 fibers to innervate neuromasts at the end of the 

 snout and its general cutaneous component to 

 form an anastomosis with the ramus palatinus; 

 between the alveolaris VII. and the mandibularis 

 V. the characteristic anastomosis occurs only to 

 the extent of a slight contact between the two 

 nerves. From the dorsal lateral line ganglion of 

 the seventh nerve a nerve passes posteriorly to 

 anastomose with the rami supratemporalis and 

 auricularis X., suggestive of the condition in the 

 Cyclostomata. The rami alveolaris and palatinus 

 arise by a common trunk from which is given oflT 

 a so-called " posterior palatine " that connects 

 with the ramus pretrematicus IX. forming Jacob- 

 son's commissure. The ramus communicans car- 

 ries general cutaneous fibers only, from the tenth 

 to the seventh nerve. Pretrematic rami of five 

 branchial nerves are found. The ramus intes- 

 tinalis recurrens X. is entirely motor, its usual 

 sensory component having separated to form a 

 distinct trunk. The hypoglossal nerve is formed 

 from branches of the first and second spinal 

 nerves. Full account to appear in Vol. 17, Pro- 

 ceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1910. 



The Innervation of the Lateral Line Organs in 

 Amphiuma and Siren: H. W. Norris, Grinnell 

 College. 



