No. 490] NOTES AND LITERATURE 



671 



It was shown, for oxainplc, that in tlie al).s(Muv of the harrino; factor, 

 the black and yellow la.K.rs c.iiil.iiu' i.. pro.lur.- iliiv." ccI.t varieties.— 

 namely pure black, if ili.- l.la. k facK.r i> in .•xccss; sociy yellow, if the 

 yellow is in excess; and blue, if the black factor is niodilied and dilute 

 and the yellow is scanty. Albino animals possess the color factors, 

 but lack an activating substance necessary for pigmentation ; the 

 albino form may occur in any of the color varieties. 



The second series showed color varieties of the guinea pig. As in 

 the rab])il. the wild coat contains black, yellow, and barring factors 

 are inherited as independent units. There is also a separable 

 brown factor which in the absence of the black and barring elements 

 produces chocolate colored animals. 



The third of the series exhihiicd was from a race of guinea pigs 

 having four-toed hind feet. The himl feci of the guinea pig, agouti, 

 and capybara are normally thrcc-iocd ; those of rabbits are four-toed 

 and of mice five-toed. By uincinitiing selection from the progeny 

 of a single four-toed 'spori.' ihrouiih live generations, a corresponding 

 race of guinea pigs has l.econie established. The effects of selection 

 upon the color pattern (spots) of guinea pigs and rats were demon- 

 strated, and the last series showed the blended inheritance of ear- 

 length in rabbits. The offsjiring of a long-eared and a short-eared 

 rabbit have ears of intermediate length, and breed true. 



F. T. L. 



ZOOLOGY 



The Families and Genera of Bats.— One of the most important 

 recent contributions to the taxonomy <.f the ("hiroptera is "The 

 Families and Genera of Bats." l.y ( ierrii S. .MIIKm-. Jr.. formini: Bulletin 

 57 of the United Stat.'. .Xaiional Mn^enm. Ii a v,,l.Hne of about 

 300 pages, with 14 i)laies and Id ww cm., illn^t ralin>: the dentition, 



12 |)air<..s of tiM- introduction aiv <levoie,l to the te. himal history of 

 ihe.LM-onp, from Linnaen. ■ 1 ToM to Weiwr ■ I'.H) | -i-jii. foll,,ue<I 



of the wing, the shoulder iiirdle, atul ire,h. and In ,, >;..tematie rexieu 

 of the genera and higher groups. The order Cliin.ptera i. divi,],.! 

 into the usually recognized two -.uhorders. MeL'aeliiropiera and 

 Microchiroptera, the former consisting of the single family Pieroi)idae, 



