378 Experimental Zoology 
The results seem to show a slightly larger number of females 
in the well-fed lots, and a larger number of males in the starved 
sets; but the numbers are too small to justify any conclusions 
from them, and those that die may have altered the proportions. 
In other experiments the authors found that the results do not 
lead to any conclusions in regard to the influence of nourishment. 
The possible influence of food in determining the sex of the egg 
(or sperm) was also examined. In the following table those larve 
that had the optimum amount of food are indicated byo. Those 
that had a minimum of food are indicated by M. The amount 
of food given to the grandparents, to the parents (third column), 
and to the larva themselves (second column) is indicated by the 
letters. 
Lots FED PARENTS eee oe ee MALES FEMALES 
I ° ° ° 2 13 Io 
2 M ° ° 2 14 9 
3 ° M ° 3 8 14 
4 M M ° 6 8 II 
5 M ° M ° 15 10 
6 M ° M ° II I4 
i] ° M M 20 2 2 
8 M M M 21 2 2 
It is not evident from these data that the sex of the egg is 
influenced by the condition of the parents or grandparents. 
Cuénot has carried out in recent years some important experi- 
ments with moths and flies. When the caterpillars of Ocneria 
dispar were given an abundant nourishment, they produced 52 
females and 4 males. Caterpillars of Bombyx rubi were given 
so small an amount of food that great mortality resulted. Of 
the 27 survivors there were 13 males and 14 females. 
Cuénot states that in the maggots of flies, the gonads, although 
present in young larve, do not undergo their histological differ- 
entiation until a relatively late period of larval life, hence 
there might appear a better opportunity to influence the sex, 
