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SUMMARY 
OF CURKENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 
(^principally Invertebrata and Cryptogamia\ 
MICROSCOPY, &c., 
INCLUDING ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM FELLOWS AND OTHERS.* 
ZOOLOGY. 
A. VERTEBRATA: — Embryology, Histology, and General, 
a. Embryology. t 
Weismann’s Theory of Heredity. { — There have been some com- 
plaints on this side of the Atlantic as to the manner in which a recent 
discussion on this subject has been conducted in the columns of ‘ Nature.’ 
We have not, however, noticed there any sentences comparable to some 
used by Mr. J. A. Ryder, who urges that the Lamarckian philosophy of 
transformism offers a hypothesis of heredity as “ a substitute for the 
preposterous one of the isolation of germ-plasma,” which Mr. Ryder 
regards as “ in the most obvious conflict with the principle of the con- 
servation of energy. An isolated germ-plasma is as undemonstrable 
as the presence of bow-legged goblins in the moon. . . . Biologists 
who commit themselves to an acceptance of the biological vagaries of 
Weismann array themselves against the modern rigorously scientific 
tendency to examine the problem of biology from the standpoint of the 
physical.” “ A colossal fabric of speculative rubbish must be consigned 
to the limbo of untenable and forgotten hypotheses in what is repre- 
sented by the misguided labours of the advocates of the existence 
an unalterable germ-plasma.” 
Human Embryo.§— Sig. G. Chiarugi describes the anatomy of a 
human embryo which measured only 2*6 mm. in length, and was appa- 
rently from three to four weeks old. The embryo was marked by a 
deep dorsal concavity, difficult to explain. There was a marked dis- 
proportion between the elongation of the spinal cord, notochord, and 
gut on the one hand, and that of the lateral parietes on the other. The 
♦ The Society are not intended to be denoted by the editorial “ we,” and they do 
not hold themselves responsible for the views of the authors of the papers noted, 
nor for any claim to novelty or otherwise made by them. The object of this part of 
the Journal is to present a summary of the papers as actually published, and to 
describe and illustrate Instruments, Apparatus, &c., which are either new or have 
not been previously described in this country. 
t This section includes not only papers relating to Embryology properly so called, 
but also those dealing with Evolution, Development, and Reproduction, and allied 
subjects. t Amer. Natural., xxiv. (1890) p. 92, 
§ Atti Soc. Tosc. Sei. Nat., x. (1889) pp. 66-94 (2 pis.). 
z 2 
