Basal Piece Research Articles

A simple drilling tool for orienting cores at shallow depth

The drilling tool is designed for use with light shot-hole type drilling. It can be built inexpensively in most machine shops. The tool has the advantage over the drill pipe method in that entire soft and horizontally laminated cores can be oriented with no dependence on the basal piece of the core which is often not recovered. The orienting device is 20 ft. long and is heavy steel pipe. It is tipped with a 1-3/4 in. insert-type drilling bit. Around the steel pipe is a 3 ft. sleeve which is slotted at the lower end. On the sleeve is mounted a lever and arm mechanism. A small projection on the pipe fits into the slot at the lower end of the sleeve preventing relative movement of the pipe and sleeve. The orienter has worked successfully in more than 40 test holes in central Oklahoma. Oriented cores were obtained from a friable Late Pennsylvanian sandstone at depths around 250 ft.

Observations sur Quelques Ciliés Astomes des Oligochètes du lac d'Ohrid (Yougoslavie). I. Famille des Radiophryinae.

SYNOPSIS. Six species of astomatous Infusoria, 4 new, are described from the alimentary tract of Oligochaeta from Ochrida Lake. Two belong to Ochridanus, characterized by a cytoskeleton whose “V”‐shaped basal piece bears on its branches two articulated hooks brought together by a skeletal blade. This genus found in Ochridanous Tubificidae represents the counterpart of Anthonyella in the Lumbriculidae of Lake Baïkal. The presence of Ochridanus in these worms concurs with the almost complete absence of representatives of Radiophrya of which we have found but one species. A species of Metaradiophrya, a genus unknown to date from the Lumbricidae, was noticed in Glossoscolecidae. The different species of Ochridanus, Anthonyella, Metaradiophrya, and Radiophrya compose a very homogeneous group of Radiophryinae. The study of the ciliary rows and the cytoskeleton of 2 species of Juxtaradiophrya, parasitic in the Lumbriculidae of Ochrida, shows that, in the morphology of these ciliates, as well as in the same forms from Lake Baïkal, many transition characteristics exist between the Radiophryinae and Hoplitophryinae or Mesnilellinae. These 3 sub‐families, with their undeniable genetic kinship give coherence to the family Hoplitophryidae.

ササゲの子葉における不定根の形成

1. Isolated cotyledons of Vigna sinensis were cultured on nutrient medium. When a part of the hypocotyl remained at the base of the cotyledon, the former grew out in a bulge, from which adventitious roots appeared.2. When a cotyledon was cut at the base so as to remove entirely from the hypocotyl, the cut surface was covered by callus. In such a case, adventitious roots formed from the callus.3. When a cotyledon was cut into apical and basal halves which are nearly equal in size, the cut surface of the apical pieces produced calluses and roots, while that of the basal pieces produced neither callus nor roots though they are formed at the opposite end.4. Anatomical studies revealed that primordium of the adventitious root was differentiated from the parenchymatous cells of the phloem in the callus at the cut end of leaf vein.5. It was discussed that the root formation might be influenced by the supply of hormone and other materials through the vein, and also by the amount of parenchymatous cells present in the phloem.6. The number of arcs of the adventitious roots varied from four, a normal condition of the primary root, to two, intermediate conditions occurring also frequently.

Polymely in a frog.

THE male frog (Rana temporaria) described here was found in a batch of frogs from Cornwall (January 1950) which had been killed before the supernumerary limb had been noticed. This supernumerary left fore limb was situated behind the normal fore limb and articulated with the sternum (Figs. 1 and 2). Bateson1 records frogs with supernumerary limbs and O'Donoghue2 gives a short summary of the types of supernumerary fore limbs found in frogs up to 1910. Including his own two specimens, O'Donoghue cites thirteen frogs with either one or two supernumerary fore limbs; of these only one (listed, but not described, in the catalogue of the Royal College of Surgeons, 1872) had the supernumerary limb attached to the sternum. Wagner3 describes a specimen with three extra but imperfect fore limbs (two right and one left) attached to “an extra basal piece overlying the sternum”. Cotton4 records a specimen with an extra right fore limb immovably articulated with an imperfect extra half pectoral girdle. Therefore, so far as I know, the present is the only specimen described with a “sternal glenoid cavity”.

Some Realignments in the Genus Nemacladus

It has recently been the writer's privilege to examine most of the available herbarium material of Nemacladus, an endemic campanulaceous genus of western North America. In the light afforded by thorough study of this material, it appears that the number of clearly recognizable species is somewhat greater than previously supposed. Fifteen years ago Dr. Philip A. Munzl published a revision of the genus, recognizing three species, with three varieties of one and six varieties of another, making a total of ten named entities. In the present paper there are recognized fourteen entities, grouped under nine species. It may well be that further herbarium study of this difficult genus, supplemented by adequate field studies of its several components, will justify the consideration, as species, of some of these entities here regarded as varieties. The genus Nemacladus offers considerable difficulty to the student because of the superficial resemblance which most of the species bear to each oti-ler. Cauline leaves are almost invariably lacking, and the leaves of the basal rosette are not long-persistent. Plant habit is similar in all the species and sizecharacters prove to be weak and untrustworthy when applied to the plant as a whole or to the vegetative parts in general. The flowers are minute; they rarely exceed five millimeters in length and are usually much smaller than this. In Munz' revision of the genus in 1924, specific limits were determined almost wholly by the use of the characters of the corolla and those of the staminal appendages peculiar to this genus. With the exception of the verv distinct N. longiflorus, all entities recognized by Munz were grouped into two species, each with several varieties. Those plants having Corolla with petals united for 1/3 to 1/2 its length . . stamineal appendages with verv slender transparent cells, which extend straight out from the base so as to appear fan-like were considered as varieties of N. ramosissimus Nuttall, while plants having Corolla with petals united only at very base . . . stamineal appendages with somewhat clavate, rather thick, transparent cells which are at right angles to basal piece were placed together as varieties of N. rigidus Curran.

THE AXIAL GRADIENTS IN HYDROZOA. VIII. RESPIRATORY DIFFERENCES ALONG THE AXIS IN TUBULARIA WITH SOME REMARKS ON REGENERATION RATE

1. The rate of oxygen consumption per unit volume of cœnosarc is greater in apical than in basal halves of distal regions of the stem of Tubularia.2. The rate of oxygen consumption per unit volume of cœnosarc is greater the younger the stem (smaller its diameter).3. The time between cutting and completion of oral hydranths is shorter the more apical the piece in pieces of equal length from distal levels of the stem of Tubularia.4. The statement in 3 may or may not hold for proximal regions of the stem, depending on the species.5. The time between cutting and completion of oral hydranths is independent of the length of the piece when the apical end of the pieces is taken at the same level, except in very short pieces.6. The time between cutting and completion of oral hydranths is shorter the younger the stem (smaller the diameter).7. The size of the regenerated oral hydranths is almost entirely independent of the length of the piece, when the apical end of the pieces is taken at the same level, except in very short pieces.8. The size of the regenerated oral hydranth is slightly smaller especially as to width the smaller the diameter of the stem but not proportionally smaller.9. The size of the regenerated oral hydranth is absolutely larger on apical than on basal pieces of equal mass taken from distal regions of the stem.10. In general there is a relation between respiratory rate and regeneration. The higher the respiratory rate the shorter is the time interval between cutting and completion of oral hydranths and the larger is the size relatively or absolutely of the regenerated oral hydranth.

Regeneration in Antennularia ramosa

1) The kind of regeneration at a cut end of Antennularia ramosa is not determined by polarity, or by orientation of the piece with respect to gravity, or by conditions existing at the other end of the piece, unless it be in case of normal attachment. 2) Certain parts of the stalk tend to produce roots, others stems. Basal pieces usually produce stems; median pieces, roots; and apical pieces, cut within the region of growth, tend to continue the stem. 3) A piece which has not succeeded in attaching itself by its roots, or has been exhausted by repeated production of roots, finally produces a stem or stems from the ends or side. 4) The coenosarc of Antennularia ramosa is of such an indifferent character that it may be withdrawn from one form of growth and put forth in another form without the production of new tissue. 5) Regeneration in A. ramosa appears, at least in early stages, to be adaptation of the already formed coenosarc to new conditions and needs, rather than to involve the building of new parts by cell multiplication. 6) The coenosarc may be withdrawn into the old stalk, from all the pinnae and new growths remain dormant for weeks, — two months at least, — and then rapidly push forth new roots and stems at the sides or ends of the stalk.

On some Fossil Alcyonaria from the Tertiary Deposits of New Zealand

M r . F. W. H utton , F.G.S., the Curator of the Otago Museum in New Zealand, has forwarded me some specimens from the Awawoa railway-cutting, Oawaru. They are from the upper part of the Oawaru formation, or what Mr. Hutton calls the Trelissic group. He considers the strata to be of that ill-defined age which some geologists term Oligocene, and others Upper Eocene. The specimens are hadly preserved, and consist of fragments of Isidinæ belonging to the genus Isis , and of Corallinæ belonging to the genus Corallium . There are no true Corals or Sclerodermic Madreporaria in the collection. The calcareous bodies and some of the bases or roots of the Isidinæ are amongst the collection; and there are many fragments of a slightly branching species of Corallium . I sidinæ Genus Isis . Plate XXXVIII. b . figs. 1—4. 1 The calcareous bodies are longer than broad, circular in outline, slightly constricted; and the ridges and furrows are distinct. They greatly resemble the specimens described from No. 3 bed, Cape Otway, Victoria, of group 1. (See the last communication.) 2 The calcareous body (fig. 2) is longer than broad, slightly bent; and the ridges are represented by straight series of long low granules; the furrows do not exist. This is quite a new form. 3 A long tapering basal piece (fig. 3), with a base of incrustation. The ridges and furrows are waved and very distinct. C orallinæ . Genus Corallium . The specimens are fragmentary. Some are with frequently branching furrows and ridges of the surface exceedingly developed and irregular