in water which is more or less contaminated by sewage, but it is still an open question as to the resulting effect upon the oyster. 4. To determine whether oysters not infected with a pathogenic organism, but grown under insanitary conditions, have a deleterious effect when used as food by animals. 5. To determine the effect upon the oyster of infection with typhoid, both naturally-i.e. by feeding with sewage water containing typhoid stools, and artificially-i.e. by feeding on a culture in broth of the typhoid organism. 6. To determine the fate of the typhoid bacillus in the oyster-whether it is confined to the alimentary canal, and whether it increases in any special part or gives rise to any diseased conditions; how long it remains in the alimentary canal; whether it remains and grows in the pallial cavity, on the surface of the mantle and branchial folds; and whether it produces any altered condition of these parts that can be recognised by the eye on opening the oyster. 7. To determine whether an oyster can free its alimentary canal and pallial cavity from the typhoid organism when placed in a stream of clean sea water; and, if so, how long would be required, under average conditions, to render infected oysters practically harmless. B. The methods which we employed in attaining these objects were as follows: 1. Observations upon oysters laid down in the sea, at Port Erin— (a) Sunk in 5 fathoms in the bay, in pure water. (b) Deposited in shore pool, but in clean water. (e) Laid down in three different spots in more or less close proximity to the main drain pipe, opening into the sea below low-water mark. These were to ascertain differences of fattening, condition, mortality, and the acquisition of deleterious properties as the result of sewage contamination. 2. Observations upon oysters subjected to various abnormal conditions in the laboratory.1 (a) A series of oysters placed in sea water and allowed to stagnate, in order to determine effect of non-aëration. (b) Similar series in water kept periodically aërated. (c) A series placed in sea water to which a given quantity of fresh (tap) In this series of experiments the oysters were fed every morning and the water aerated, but not changed (evaporation was compensated for by the addition of a little tap water as required). The oysters were weighed from time to time, and observations made upon the apparently harmful or beneficial effects of the above methods of treatment. The oysters were kept in basins in cool rooms of constant temperature, shaded from the sun, both at the Port Erin Biological Station and also in the Pathological and Zoological Laboratories at University College, Liverpool. (e) A series of oysters placed in sea water to which was added daily- (1) Healthy fæcal matter. (2) Typhoid fæcal matter. (3) Pure cultivations of the typhoid bacillus. The oysters were carefully examined to determine their condition, with special reference to condition of branchiæ, alimentary canal, adductor muscle, and viscera generally. The contents of the rectum, as well as the water in the pallial cavity, were subjected to bacteriological analysis to determine the number of micro-organisms present, as well as the identity of the typhoid or other pathogenic organisms. C. The following is a summary of the results obtained so far:— We consider that these results are based upon tentative experiments, and serve only to indicate further and definite lines of research. They must not be regarded as conclusive. We feel strongly that all the experiments must be repeated and extended in several directions. Our experiments demonstrate: I. The beneficial effects of aëration (a) By the addition of air only ; (b) By change of water; pointing to the conclusion that the laying down of oysters in localities where there is a good change of water, by tidal current or otherwise, should be beneficial. II. The diverse results obtained by feeding upon various substances, amongst which the following may be noted. The exceedingly harmful action of sugar, which caused the oysters to decrease in weight and die; whilst the other substances detailed above enabled them to maintain their weight or increase. The oysters thrive best upon the living Protophyta and Protozoa. Those fed upon oatmeal and flour after a time sickened and eventually died. III. The deleterious effects of stagnation, owing to the collection of excretory products, growth of micro-organisms, and formation of scums upon the surface of the water. IV. The toleration of sewage, etc. It was found that oysters could, up to a certain point, render clear sewage-contaminated water, and that they could live for a prolonged period in water rendered completely opaque by the addition of fæcal matter; that the fæcal matter obtained from cases of typhoid was more inimical than that obtained from healthy subjects; and that there was considerable toleration to peptonised broth. V. The infection of the oyster by the micro-organisms. The results of the bacteriological examination of the water of the pallial cavity of the oyster, and of the contents of the rectum, showed that in the cases of those laid down in the open water of the bay the colonies present were especially small in number, whilst in those laid down in proximity to the drain pipe the number was enormous (eg. 17,000 as against 10 in the former case). It was found that more organisms were present in the pallial cavity than in the rectum. In the case of the oysters grown in water infected with the Bacillus typhosus, it was found that there was no apparent increase of the organisms, but that they could be identified in cultures taken from the water of the pallial cavity and rectum fourteen days after infection. It is found that the typhoid bacillus will not flourish in clean sea water, and our experiments seem to show so far that it decreases in numbers in its passage along the alimentary canal of the oyster. It would seem possible, therefore, that by methods similar to those employed in the Bassins de dégorgement' of the French ostreiculturist, where the oysters are carefully subjected to a natural process of cleaning, oysters previously contaminated with sewage could be freed of pathogenic organisms or their products without spoiling the oyster for the market. It need scarcely be pointed out that if it becomes possible thus to cleanse infected or suspected oysters by a simple mode of treatment which will render them innocuous, a great boon will have been conferred upon both the oyster trade and the oyster-consuming public. We desire to acknowledge the kind help of Mr. W. I. Beaumont in making some of the observations at Port Erin, and of Mr. Andrew Scott at Liverpool. 6. On the Oyster Culture in the Colne District. 7. On Fish and Fishing Grounds in the North Sea. 8. The Organisation of Zoological Bibliography. Arrangements are now almost completed for the establishment of an international bibliographical bureau for zoology. This bureau, the organisation of which was begun some three years ago, will be located at Zürich, Switzerland. It will publish a series of bibliographical journals, as follows: 1, a fortnightly bulletin; 2, an edition of the bulletin printed on thin paper, and only on one side of the sheet, so that it may be cut up and used for other bibliographical elaboration; and 3, a complete card-catalogue of all zoological literature published after 1895. In addition, the 'Zoologischer Jahresbericht' will be federated with the undertaking, so as to afford an annual list of titles, arranged alphabetically by authors. In the pamphlet edition the titles will be classified under a series of headings, corresponding to the systematic groups of animals. The cards will be of the standard library size, and will be essentially authors' cards.' They will, however, bear a set of simple symbols, which will permit them to be classified in one of several different ways, according to the special needs of each individual subscriber, viz. 1, alphabetically by authors; 2, systematically by groups of animals; 3, morphologically by organ systems; or 4, faunistically by zoogeographical regions. The system of symbols is so simple that the cards could be arranged by any laboratory boy or library assistant, no knowledge of the science being involved. All the above classifications will be based upon a study of the text itself; and incidental observations, though not mentioned in the title, will be brought out and used as cross-references. Each chapter will then be complete in itself, for it will contain, as far as possible, all observations published on the subject, whether published as whole papers, or as accessory notes in a paper, whose major part is of a very different nature. In a word, the unit for the classification will be the individual observation paragraph, not the paper as a whole. In various parts of the world the bureau will be aided by, 1, national committees; 2, correspondents; and 3, sub-bureaux. The national committees of several countries are already organised. They are to use their influence in securing for the bureau such publications as cannot be consulted in any library to which we have access-the Swiss libraries, that of the Zoological Station at Naples, and those of Leipzig. In case the journals themselves cannot be obtained they are to be reported by correspondents. It is, however, so manifestly in the interest of each author and of every publishing firm or scientific society to make its publications known that co-operation is assured. The matter has already been studied by the French and American committees in considerable detail, and they have found that it is perfectly possible to obtain the journals in the way indicated. There is no reason to suppose that England will show her self less ready to co-operate than these two nations. It seems certain that competent correspondents can be found. Several have indeed already offered to assume this burden. The sub-bureaux are being organised merely in those countries where the language presents exceptional difficulties-Bohemia, Hungary, Poland, and Russia. They will be maintained at the expense of the particular country involved, and are in large measure already realised. The financial support of the bureau will come from several sources. The initial cost of organising the service will be borne by those who have undertaken this task. The current expenses must, however, be in part covered by subsidies from learned societies, &c. Thus the Naples Zoological Station has offered an annual grant toward the support of the bureau. In Switzerland a considerable annual subsidy is also offered to the bureau. In France a subscription has been opened under the auspices of the Société Zoologique de France, and has been subscribed to by several other societies. In the United States a similar course has been adopted, and the full sum asked for is already assured. In Russia the co-operation takes the form of a national sub-bureau; I mention it here merely because it was there that the first committee was nominated. In England the following is needed: 1, a national committee to aid the bureau in all such emergencies as require direct local action; 2, a service of correspondents; and 3, a grant towards the support of the bureau. It is with a view to inducing English zoologists to meet these requirements that I take the liberty of bringing this matter to the attention of the British Association. It is reasonably certain that the enterprise will succeed, if we can only secure one half the support that has been secured in the United States or in Switzerland. 9. The Date of Publication' of Zoological Memoirs. The accepted rules of zoological nomenclature are based upon the so-called 'law of priority.' It is therefore of the greatest importance that what is meant by the date of publication' should be defined precisely. The rules adopted by the international congresses are more explicit on this point than most of the previous ones, and the precedent is set for adopting for convenience certain arbitrary rulings. Thus, neither the date at which a paper is presented before a learned society, nor the date of sending it to press is accepted. On the other hand, the rule does not specify whether the date of printing or that of issue is to be taken. In certain legal cases (patents, &c.) the decision seems to have been the former. This is, however, a date which it is impossible to verify in practice, and the latter seems, moreover, the more equitable ruling. I know cases in which the difference between the two dates amounts to nearly one year. It is therefore important to regulate this point in order to avoid future contestations. I should like, then, to make the following propositions to the Committee of the Zoological Section: (1) That the Committee recommend the date of distribution as the proper criterion. (2) That the Committee recommend that zoological publications be recorded as well as published. If the Committee decide to take this step, the new Bibliographical Bureau could readily undertake to record and publish with each paper the date at which it was sent not received-and thus open the way for the ideal solution. This would be to make recording the basis of our nomenclature, rather than the mere publication. Such a ruling would, however, obviously only be possible after the practice had become general. We can to-day do nothing more than work towards that solution. 10. On Economy of Labour in Zoology. By THOMAS R. R. STEBBING, M.A. Founding his case upon the presumed admission that the knowledge of natural history has increased, is increasing, and ought not to be diminished, the author argues that measures are now urgently required for facilitating the survey of this extensive and ever-extending body of information. He gives examples of the onerous conditions of study resulting from the existing state of scientific literature. He proposes that an effort should be made to gather into a succinct form all the most indispensable knowledge in each branch of zoology, instead of leaving each student to gather it as best he may from an unwieldy mass of miscellaneous writings. The proposals now current for a new system of recording in zoology are cordially endorsed. As the uniformity, simplicity, and completeness aimed at by those proposals will, if successfully attained, give workers in general a clue through the maze of future discoveries, it is urged that at this parting of the ways the opportunity should be seized for dealing with past acquisitions. They need to be presented with the utmost conciseness to which skill and method can reduce materials so vast and various, and sometimes so vague and so redundant. The point is insisted on that, however lowly may be the place in science of systematic zoology, it is after all a department which must exist. Although the service indicated is needed for all the other departments, systematic zoology is the one to which it is most necessary and can most easily be rendered. At the same time the undertaking is not of a character to promise an immediate return of commercial profit. But just as great public works are carried out by Government at the expense of the nation, so this scientific work appeals to the fostering care of those societies which are by their eminence entitled and by their financial position enabled to act for the commonwealth of science. 11. On the Septal Organs of Owenia fusiformis. By Professor G. GILSON. The object of this communication is to call attention to certain peculiarities presented by the septa of Owenia fusiformis, and to obtain information from the anatomists who may have observed similar features in other tubicolous annelids. These septa, with the exception of the first, or cephalic, and the most remote ones in the tail, are all perforated. Each of them presents two pores, through which the adjoining segments communicate. These pores are provided with a muscular apparatus, very powerful in certain of the septa, and sometimes rather complicating their structure. The second septum, for instance, which is the most muscular of all, contains, on each side of the ventral median line, an enormous ovoid mass of muscles, the fibres of which run in various directions. Through these muscles passes a tiny canal. This septal canal is very sinuous in its course through the muscular organ, and its existence is far from being easily recognised, owing to the state of violent contraction in which the muscles are always found in sections. There is no doubt, however, that the septal canals may open widely enough to allow the eggs to pass and to reach the fifth segment of the body, which is the only one that communic tes with the exterior, through the modified nephridia described in the author's paper last year at Oxford. Besides the canals and their muscles, the fifth septum contains a semicircular muscle which seems to be intended to constrict the intestine, which, just where it pierces the septum, becomes suddenly very narrow and acquires a very faick muscular coat. All the septa present similar structures, more or less complicated, until in the posterior ones the septal pores are reduced to a short perforation, surrounded by a thin muscular ring. But in the fifth and sixth septa a new feature appears: the muscular, sphincterlike mass on each side is joined by a tubular ingrowth of the epiderm. Ths tube |