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SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
SUMMARY 
OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY 
(principally Invertebrata and Cryptogamia') i 
MICROSCOPY, &c., 
INCLUDING ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM FELLOWS AND OTHERS* * * § 
ZOOLOGY. 
A. VERTEBRATA: — Embryology, Histology, and General. 
a. Embryology. f 
Theories of Heredity. { — Prof. Waldeyer in his introductory address 
to the German Anatomical Society critically discussed various theories 
of heredity, and came to the conclusion that, at present, O. Hertwig’s 
nuclear theory is the best founded, although he cannot convince himself 
that the influence of protoplasm should be completely excluded. 
Energy as a Factor in Organic Evolution.§ — Mr. J. A. Ryder is not 
satisfied with Prof. Cope’s term Kinetogeny as referring to the agency 
of energy in the modification of organisms. He proposes, therefore, as 
a general term ergogeny under which he includes kinetogeny, which 
refers to the energy of motion, and statogeny which refers to the energy 
of rest or equilibrium. He urges that all Metazoa pass through larval 
stages in which the statical condition of equilibrium of the plasma of 
the egg is gradually, in great measure, overridden by the hereditary 
energies represented by phylogeny and ontogeny. He thinks it cannot 
be denied that there still remain traces of the effects of kinetogeny 
and statogeny in the adult organism. As examples of the effects of the 
statogeny skeletons and egg-shells may be specially cited. 
Mechanical Genesis of Form of Fowl’s Egg.|| — Mr. J. A. Ryder 
applies the terminology proposed in the above-cited article to the fowl’s 
egg, the genesis of which he discusses from the point of view of a 
* 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 Anat. Anzeig., viii., Erganz. Heft (1893) pp. 3-11. 
§ Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., xxxi. (1893) pp. 192-203. 
II Tom. cit., pp. 203-9 (1 fig.). 
