INTRODUCTION. 
Gen. Sub. 3 
Works of a cytological character are very numerous. Rohde (640) has 
published the first part of a study of the cell : it is devoted to the nucleus. 
Farmer (230) in Lankester’s treatise of Zoology gives an epitome of 
cytology, with a brief historical account, which will be acceptable to many 
students, though it is only fair to say that it is objected to by Delage as 
containing no reference to French work on the subject. Schuberg (674) 
discusses the connections between cells ; and Rhumbler (631, 632) gives 
us an interesting dissertation as to the resemblance of the appearances 
during cell-division to those of inorganic magnetic figures. 
Of the two papers (78, 79) by T. Boveri the second is an amplified 
edition of the first, and is therefore included in this Record although it 
was perhaps not published till the beginning of 1904 ; the preface being 
dated July 1903. It is of wider scope than is indicated by the title 
“ Ergebnisse fiber die Konstitution der chromatischen Substanz des 
Zellkerns.” (The chromosomes are here treated as “the chromatic sub- 
stance.”) He gives a clear account of numerous very interesting Kary okinetic 
histories, and maintains the “ individuality ” of the chromosome. He does 
not however make us clearly comprehend what connotations he intends 
the term individuality to carry in this connection ; and, looking to the 
zoological difficulties that attend the use of this term in other cases, we 
cannot consider that this point of Boveri’s is of much importance. He 
also discusses the interpretation of Mendelian facts, and concludes with a 
valuable recognition of the results that may be obtained in the future by 
“ nicht Chemie, doch etwas von der Wesen chemischer Forschung.” So 
that he is not really opposed to the view that physico-chemical research 
may shew that some, if not all, of the properties we assign to the 
“ chromatic substance ” may be due to the modes of building up of that 
substance. Modes that appear to be of the first importance when we bear 
in mind the enormous increase in the quantity of chromatic substance 
that, in many cases, occurs in the course of a single generation. He thus 
confirms the view that the morphological and physiological views of cytology 
are only diverse because they contemplate different aspects of a single com- 
plicated process. The work is an extremely interesting one. 
Papers on subjects connected with the continuity of the generations are 
very numerous ; the ontological aspects of heredity being in fact the 
subject in which most interest is at present displayed. J. Loeb’s (451, 
452, 454) experiments on hybrid-fertilisation are of interest as a fresh field 
of experiment. Voinov (766) discusses the autonomy of the centrosome. 
Vejdovsky & Mrazek give an elaborate study of maturation and fertilisa- 
tion in Rhynchelmis (757) ; Voinov has undertaken the study of the 
genesis of the two forms of spermatozoa in Dytiscidse, and gives the first 
part (764, 765) of his results. It includes a review of the “ accessory 
chromosome” of Arthropods ; he does not support the view that it is a 
determinant of sex. Meves’ accounts (503, 504) of the formation of polar 
bodies in the spermatogenesis of social Hymenoptera and of distinctions 
in the processes will no doubt receive due attention. , 
A large contribution has been made to Hert wig’s work on the develop- 
ment of Vertebrates (321). W. Roux (648) discusses the sequence and 
relation of the processes of development immediately ensuing on the 
fertilisation of the frog’s egg. Korschelt & Heider’s Text-book (401) of 
the development of Invertebrates has been completed. 
The subject of parthenogenesis is also attracting much attention, and 
from its wide bearing is likely to become of increasing importance. 
Petrunkewitsch considers that he has now proved (590) that the polar 
bodies in the parthenogenetic egg producing a drone bee do not disappear 
as they do in fertilised eggs ; the first and second polar bodies conjugate 
before passing into the interior of the egg, and there give rise to the sex- 
gland. He has examined a large number of cases, and is sure that this 
