LOG. The American Naturalist. [February, 
a laboratory boy, He advised filtering of all waste paraffine in the labor- 
atory. W. Patten, “Preservation of Cartilage, etc., in a Dry Condition.” 
By impregnetion with paraffine as if for section work. C.B. Davenport, 
“The Role of Water in Growth.” . Careful weighing of frog embryos 
shows that in early stages increase in weight is almost entirely due to 
absorption of water. J.P. McMurrich, “Structure and Function of the 
Hind Gut of Isopods.” This region is lined with solid chitinous intima; 
does not increase in number of cells; does not absorb food. Dr. Conk- 
in contradicted this, claiming that the intima is traversed by fine canal- 
iculi, that food-is absorbed by this region, and that its cells divide in the 
length of the animal by amitosis. 
December 30, 1896.—H. C. Bumpus, “ The Result of the Suspension 
of Natural Selection as Illustrated by the Introduced English Sparrow.” 
Showed by comparison of 1600 eggs that this bird is more variable in 
the United States than in England. G. W. Field, “ The Plankton of 
Brackish Water.” A. E. Verrill, “ Nocturnal Protective Colors of Ami- 
mals.” On diurnal changes in colors of fishes as related to natural 
selection. Margaret Lewis, “ Epidermal Sense-Organs in Certain Poly- 
chaetes.” Structure and distribution of these in some maldanids. A. 
P. Henchman, “ Eyes of Limax maximus.” Details of structure and 
existence of primary and accessory visual organs. A. Schaper, “ Earliest 
Differentiation of the Central Nervous System of Vertebrates.” A his- 
tory of the epithelial sustentation, glia and nerve cells in the spinal 
cord; and a parallel between ontogeny and the conditions found in 
amphroxus, lamprey, selachian, etc. W. Patten, “A Basis for a Theory 
of Color Perception.” Based upon the wave lengths and the conical 
shape of the end-organs. N. P. Harrington, “A New Species of Ento- 
concha and the Systematic Position of the Genus.” A. E. Verrill, “A 
Colossal Cephalopod from Florida.” An octopus with body 18 feet long, 
5 feet in diameter ; estimated weight of this part, 5 tons. Part of one — 
tentacle was found 34 feet long and 10 inches in diameter at the place 
where it was broken of. Its length in life is estimated between 70 and 
90 feet. G. Lefevre, “ Budding in Clavellinide.” W. Patten, “ Visual 
Centers of Vertebrates and Arthropods.” An attempt to homologise 
these regions in the two groups. M. Bancroft, “ Notes on Chelyosoma.” 
J. S. Kingsley, “Amphiuma and the Caecilians.” Claimed that these 
two forms are but remotely related to each other. F. C. Waite, “ Bra- 
chial and Lumbo-Sacral Plexi in Necturus.” The evidence presented 
by these structures upon vertebral intercalation and on the shifting of 
the pelvis. 
