Nov. 9, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
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ached only the first stage, and never produced 
{hat may be called a genuine infant sea urchin. 
jrof. Delage resolved to search for a combina- 
jon of substances which would carry the pro- 
sss still. further. It was supposed that the 
lwakening of the latent life in the eggs was due 
» electric action of the solutions hitherto used, 
r to the influence of the infinitesimally active 
articles called ions; but Prof. Delage has suc- 
zeded in cultivating urchins in solutions 
itirely refractory to the actions of these forces. 
le found that, while sea water had no effect 
self, plenty of larve could be obtained by using 
solution of almost any one of the principal 
uts contained in sea water, or by a mixture 
two or more of these salts, but that some had 
uch more effect than others. Even a solution 
i sugar caused a free development of larve. 
The best results of all are obtained in the fol- 
‘wing way: To 50 cubic centimeters of sugar 
lution Prof. Delage adds 27 drops of a solu- 
on of tannin and puts the eggs in it. Five 
inutes later he adds 30 drops of a solution of 
mmonia, of which 27 are for neutralization, 
id the remaining three are to make the liquid 
ary slightly alkaline. The eggs are left in the 
lution one hour, are then washed freely with 
2a water, and left to develop in it. In 
s0ut an hour the awakening of life is shown 
y a change in the shape of the eggs, which 
ider the magnifying glass are seen to be no 
nger round, but segmented. The process con- 
nues until the bottom of the jar is covered 
ith a mass of microscopic larve, which, in 
irn, change into embryo sea urchins. 
“T could obtain hundreds of thousands every 
iy,’ said Prof. Delage, “but the practical diffi- 
uties in the way of rearing these tiny crus- 
ceans.are immense. The water must be kept 
exactly the right temperature and frequently 
1anged, so as to supply the sea urchins with 
ie creatures, still more infinitesimal than 
iemselves, on which they feed. But at the 
ime time we cannot keep out other micro- 
‘opic sea denizens which are deadly enemies 
‘the larve and are the unconscious agents of 
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sea 
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ROSANA PSII INININNININENIN ENNIS 
nature’s decree against the survival of the un- 
Thus it is that from the millions of 
eggs developed I have obtained only four com- 
plete living specimens which have progressed 
beyond the embryonic stage. The largest of 
them was born on June 17, and is now about 
two millimeters in diameter. I hope, of course, 
to be able to keep him alive, but these practical 
problems are of less importance, to my mind, 
than the theoretical questions involved. 
“T want to find out why a chemical solution 
awakens life in the egg and produces a result 
different from that of natural fecundation. The 
male sea urchin’s milt contains millions of ani- 
malculz called spermatozoids, whose function is 
to burrow into the egg. As the spermatozoid 
advances his tail breaks off, but his head con- 
tinues to move onward until it reaches the ex- 
tremely complicated protoplasmic substance in 

the center and transmits the essentials of the 
male parent to the future larve. The sugar 
solution, on the other hand, while able to 
fecundate, causes the egg to produce a larva 
having only the female parent’s characteristics. 
What is this peculiarly sensitive vital principle 
which responds in different ways to natural and 
to artificial stimulation? 
“There is another proof that the action of 
the solution is not of the same-kind as that of 
the natural process. One of my artificial de- 
veloped eggs produced a baby sea urchin with 
six sets of tentacles and suckers instead of the 
regulation five, It is not in any sense a mon- 
strosity, but a creature formed with perfect 
regularity—cast in a new mold, as it were. I 
have examined hundreds of thousands of sea 
urchins, but never before did I see one that de- 
parted from the regulation pattern. It remains 
tc be seen whether my hexamerous sea urchin 
will be followed by others, the fruit, like him- 
self, of chemical action,” 
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INN MNININININGE 


A LABRADOR STORY. 
St. Joun’s, N. F., Oct. 22—Editor Forest and 
Stream: I send you a clipping from a late local 
paper that will interest many of your readers. 
Labrador and its inhabitants are looming 
large in the public eye the last few years. Ex- 
plorers, sportsmen, naturalists and ordinary 
tourists visit it year in increasing num- 
bers. This account of a battle between the 
Mountaineer tribes and the Eskimos will be 
valuable data for those who are studying the 
conditions of the North American Indians, 
and will explain the sudden decrease in num- ’ 
bers of the Labrador tribes. It was by pure 
accident that the evidence of this battle was 
discovered; there may have been other bat- 
tles, and there probably have been, with as 
much loss of life resulting, of which nothing 
has been heard. The story follows: 
“A friend who lately arrived from Labrador 
has told the Standard of the finding on a part 
of northern Labrador of a large number of 
skeletons of Indians, who evidently were 
killed in a battle during the fall of 1906. 
“The outline of the story, the full particu- 
lars, perhaps, will never be known, is that the 
crew of a fishing schooner belonging to 
Brigus, which was down in quest of codfish, 
landed at a*place on the mainland north of 
Ungava Bay. The object of their visit was 
for nothing in particular, but while some of the 
boat’s crew were walking about they came 
upon a sight at which they were appalled, if 
not frightened. Scattered around on the 
ground, lying in all positions, was a large 
number of bodies or skeletons. The flesh had 
all disappeared from the bodies, but the hair 
on the skulls was intact. The men at once re- 
turned to. the schooner and reported their 
gruesome find to the captain. Another visit 
was paid to the scene, and an investigation 
made by the captain. What the crew had re- 
ported was found to be true. Upward of 
eighty skeletons were found, and lying by 
them were their guns, and one repeating rifle 
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