April 14, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



571 



George H. Parker, Ph.D., assistant pro- 

 fessor of zoology, Harvard University, con- 

 tinued, as salaried investigator, his experi- 

 ments of a previous summer upon the hear- 

 ing of fishes, devoting especial attention to 

 the functions of the ear of the squeteague 

 {Cynoscion regalis). The latter consists of 

 a dorsal utriculus, with three semi-circular 

 canals, and of ventral sacculus containing 

 a large otolith. The cavity of the utriculus 

 does not communicate with that of the sac- 

 culus ; hence the ear of this fish, unlike that 

 of most vertebrates, is represented anatom- 

 ically by two separate parts. When the 

 utriculi and their appended semi-circular 

 canals and nerves were cut, the fishes 

 showed characteristic disturbances in their 

 equilibrium, and these disturbances per- 

 sisted till death. Such fishes were as re- 

 sponsive as normal ones to sound vibrations 

 produced by tapping with a mallet on the 

 side of the wooden aquarium in which they 

 were kept. When the otoliths, which are 

 normally quite freely movable in the sac- 

 culi, were pressed by means of pins against 

 the outer, non-nervous sides of their cham- 

 bers and were thus fastened, the fishes 

 showed no disturbance of equilibrium, but 

 did not react to sound vibrations as do 

 normal fishes. It, therefore seems prob- 

 able to Dr. Parker that the utriculus and 

 the semicircular canals are sense organs 

 concerned with equilibrium, and that the 

 sacculus with its contained otolith is an 

 organ of hearing. 



Henry F. Perkins, instructor in zoology. 

 University of Vermont, and Carnegie re- 

 search assistant, continued his endeavors 

 to rear the eggs of Gonionemus murhachii, 

 with view to a study of the embryology of 

 this form. This task has proved extremely 

 difficult in the past, but preliminary steps 

 were successfully taken. Towing collec- 

 tions of various hydromedusie were also 

 made from the wharf, furnishing material 



for a study of the formation of new ten- 

 tacles. 



L. Charles Raiford, instructor in chem- 

 istry and dyeing, Mississippi Agricultural . 

 College, carried on studies upon the in- 

 testinal bacteria of certain fishes. Cultures 

 were taken from 57 dog-fish and 26 men- 

 haden, and those organisms which appeared 

 to be of constant occurrence were isolated 

 in pure culture. So far as his work has 

 been carried, Mr. Raiford believes that all 

 of the bacteria found are commonly known 

 species. 



H. W. Rand, Ph.D., instructor in zool- 

 ogy, Harvard University, collected and 

 prepared material for studies of the venous 

 system of the skate. Injections were made 

 of the hepatic portal, cardinal and lateral 

 veins, with a view to determining the rela- 

 tions and connections of these several sys- 

 tems of veins in the posterior region of the 

 abdominal cavity. Dr. Rand also made a 

 series of observations on the respiratory 

 movements of the skate, with special refer- 

 ence to the functions of the spiracle. 



George G. Scott, M.A., tutor in philos- 

 ophy. College of the City of New York, and 

 assistant in charge of the supply room at 

 the laboratory, carried on studies upon the 

 sporozoa parasitic in various marine in- 

 vertebrates. * 



Grant Smith, Ph.D., teacher of biology, 

 Chicago Normal School, collected and pre- 

 pared material for the study of the eyes of 

 various marine invertebrates. 



W. L. Sperry, Rhodes scholar elect, car- 

 ried on studies upon the muscular and 

 nervous systems of the stai*-fish, Asterias 

 forhesi. In this work Mr. Sperry assisted 

 Professor H. L. Clark, who, however, was 

 not himself present this season. Certain 

 features of the musculature were studied 

 in detail and drawn, observations upon the 

 movements of the living animal were made, 



