June 16, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



861 



tids (those lacking the accessory chromosome) 

 regularly degenerate. This obviously has no 

 connection with crossing, but is concerned 

 with sex. 



If we were to classify the causes of pollen 

 sterility we might at least mention the fol- 

 lowing : (1) Crossing of sufficiently distinct 

 species, (2) a condition of variability or 

 mutability in the species, (3) the substitution 

 of vegetative for sexual reproduction, (4) \m- 

 known physiological causes. 



So far from it being improbable that muta- 

 bility in a species should be accompanied by a 

 certain amount of pollen sterility, we should 

 be at a loss to account for the reverse condi- 

 tion, namely, a highly mutable species which 

 had perfectly good pollen. For it is clear that 

 in a mutating species various types of aberrant 

 pollen grains must be produced, some of which 

 may be unable to mature, and these will form 

 shrivelled grains. This view is borne out by 

 direct observations of pollen development in 

 the CEnotheras. Moreover, some such gametes 

 vsdll form zygotes which are unable to develop, 

 as has again been shown by direct observation 

 in (Enothera. It follows almost from neces- 

 sity that if the gametes of a mutable species 

 are varying in many ways some of them will 

 vary so as to produce pollen grains which are 

 non-viable. 



The view that a great increase in the vege- 

 tative methods of reproduction in a species 

 may lead to or be accompanied by partial 

 sterility of the pollen, is often expressed and 

 apparently with reason. How narrowly such 

 a relationship holds, however, could only be 

 determined by statistical comparison. In the 

 case of Trillium, T. giganteum apparently re- 

 produces largely from rootstocks and T. ovatum 

 chiefly from seeds. 



From these preliminary observations it is 

 clear at any rate that geographically isolated 

 species do not invariably have good pollen, 

 and that pollen sterility is by no means a 

 sure sign of hybridity. 



E. E. Gates, 



t. h. goodspeed 



Universitt of Califoknia, 

 March 16, 1916 



ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE WASHING- 

 TON MEETING 



in 

 Indian Ruins of the Republic of Guatemala: Fer- 

 nando Ckuz. 



The ruins scattered throughout the territory of 

 Guatemala are of two characteristic types: (1) 

 Those properly classed as prehistoric, consisting 

 of cities which were inhabited by races who occu- 

 pied the territory centuries before the Spanish 

 conquest and left notable vestiges of their civili- 

 zation. (2) Those of a later period which were 

 the fortifications used by the natives in their re- 

 sistance to the Spaniards. 



Those of the first class have been studied with 

 care, at least the greater part of them; those of 

 the second class have been viewed up to the pres- 

 ent time with but little interest by archeologists. 

 The ruins of this second class are simpler and do 

 not reveal in their construction the same high 

 grade of architectural beauty as those of the first 

 class. 



The author mentions the principal Indian ruins 

 of Guatemala which have been studied, as well as 

 those that have not yet been studied. He also 

 gives a general idea of the arrangement of the 

 cities, some of which he briefly describes. 



With regard to the ruins of the cities contem- 

 porary with the Spanish conquest, the author notes 

 that they reveal certain artistic decadence, and 

 that in none of them is there to be found anything 

 like the monoliths and sculptures of the former 

 inhabitants. These ruins are of cities ' of a mili- 

 tary character, fortifications intended for the re- 

 sistance of the enemies in their domestic wars. 

 The author indicates some of these ruins, and de- 

 scribes the condition in which they are to be found. 

 Native Languages of Guatemala: Adrian Eecinos. 



After a few preliminary considerations with re- 

 gard to the problems Which demand the attention 

 of the scientific men occupied in the study of the 

 pre-Columbian epoch, the author proceeds to a 

 study of the native languages of the races that 

 have inhabited the Central American territory. 

 He gives an outline of the Maya race and the grade 

 of civilization which it attained. 



The author does not believe that the native Cen- 

 tral American languages can be described as dia- 

 lects of the Maya. In his opinion they are perfect 

 languages, with a construction, and some of them 

 with a literature of their own. 



Studying the different native races which in- 

 habit Guatemala at the present time, and analyzing 



