416 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XL. No. 1029 



total len^t, their absolute rates of growtii are 

 the same. This apparent rate of growth of 

 each part relative to the total length is a func- 

 tion of the ratio of the length of the part to 

 the total length of the fish. (3) Study of the 

 puffing mechanism of Spheroides maculaius. 

 Anatomically the mechanism is composed of 

 two parts : a diverticular bag from the ventral 

 wall of the esophagus, and several sphincter 

 muscles. In inflation with water, the liquid is 

 drawn in as in a normal inspiration. During 

 the expiration, however, all openings to the ex- 

 terior are shut and the muscle controlling the 

 opening into the esophagus, and eventually 

 into the diverticular bag is released and the 

 water is forced into the diverticulum or " puff- 

 bag." This occurs several times before infla- 

 tion is complete. Inflation with air difl^ers 

 from that of water in that during inspiration 

 the air is drawn into the oral cavity largely 

 through the opercular openings and not 

 through the mouth. 



Dr. Albert Kuntz, of the University of Iowa, 

 continued the investigation of pelagic fish eggs 

 and larvse. This work was undertaken for the 

 purpose of securing a record as complete as 

 possible of the time of spawning and of the 

 embryological and larval development of fishes 

 with pelagic eggs breeding in these waters 

 during the summer, one of the primary objects 

 being to afford a ready means of identifying 

 either eggs or larval fishes at any time during 

 embryological and larval life. 



Pelagic eggs and larvse of not less than eight 

 species were taken during the summer. Com- 

 plete records of the embryological and larval 

 development of two species, viz., Bairdiella 

 chrysura (Lacepede) and Anchovia mitchilli 

 (Cuvier & Valenciennes) were secured. Ob- 

 servations on the eggs and larvse of the re- 

 maining species as yet remain incomplete. 



Dr. S. O. Mast, of Johns Hopkins Univer- 

 sity, devoted his time to a study of the changes 

 in pattern and color in fishes, especially the 

 flounders. The flounders lie on the bottom 

 most of the time and the skin assumes a color 

 and pattern so nearly like that of the environ- 

 ment that it is frequently very difficult to see 

 them. Oh. a black bottom they become black; 



on a white bottom, white; on a yellow bottom, 

 yellow ; on a blue bottom, bluish ; on a red bot- 

 tom, reddish, etc. All of these changes in the 

 skin are regulated through the eye. This indi- 

 cates color vision. If the bottom is finely 

 mottled, the pattern on the skin assumes a fine 

 grain ; if coarsely mottled, it assumes a coarse 

 grain; but there is no evidence indicating an 

 actual reproduction of the configuration of the 

 background. 



If, after the skin has become adapted to a 

 given bottom, the fish are removed to a dif- 

 ferent bottom, they tend to return to the orig- 

 inal, i. e., they tend to select a bottom which 

 harmonizes with their skin. A large number 

 of photographs and autochromes were made to 

 facilitate this study and to serve in illustrating 

 the report. 



Mr. L. F. Shackell, of St. Louis University 

 school of medicine, continued work begun in 

 the summer of 1912 on the protection of wood 

 against the attacks of marine borers. The 

 test employed on the pieces of wood treated at 

 that time — submersion in the water of Beau- 

 fort Harbor for ten months — eliminated many 

 forms of treatment. The work of the past 

 summer, therefore, consisted of detailed ex- 

 perimental work involving a very few materials 

 found to be effective over a relatively short 

 period. The cost of treatment was also con- 

 sidered in the later work. It is not expected 

 that definite results of any economic impor- 

 tance will be obtained in less than three years' 

 time, during which the present series of treated 

 pine poles will be continually submerged under 

 sea water. 



Mr. H. F. Taylor, of Trinity College, con- 

 tinued his investigations of the scales of fishes, 

 (1) concluding as far as possible the investi- 

 gations of the squeteague scales and (2) veri- 

 fying and amplifying the results thus attained 

 by similar work on other species. 



On account of its adaptability to artificial 

 conditions the pig-fish (OrthoprisUs chrysop- 

 terus) was used. Scales of over 80 specimens 

 were examined and the growth rate calculated 

 as for the squeteague. Evidences thus found 

 point to the first year as that of sexual ma- 

 turity. 



