100 YEARS AGO

While we were taking sympathetic breaths with the insatiable shag, the latter reappeared — yet again with a 15-inch eel. Four 15-inch eels — all swallowed alive — within the space of about four minutes! ⃛ Would he bring up another? Yes, there he was again with another 15-inch eel! A very vigorous eel — just like the others in size and appearance, and swallowed in the same manner, after about 30 seconds' resistance. This made five eels. The question now arose as to what would be the end of this bird. Was he going to die the death of King Henry I before our eyes? ⃛ To make a long story short, we counted twelve eels! — all stout 15-inchers. The twelfth seemed, perhaps, rather feebler than the others, but it nearly got away. H.R.H. now seemed to reflect that this last misadventure was a warning, swallowed his twelfth, and took flight⃛ . There is, of course, only one explanation of all this; the twelve eels were one and the same eel ⃛ . The peculiar procedure of ejecting the prey under water appears very remarkable.

From Nature8 December 1898.

50 YEARS AGO

Since last August there have been reports in the Press of a crisis among biologists in the U.S.S.R. The crisis culminated in a decree from the Præsidium of the Academy of Sciences ⃛ . This decree dismisses a number of prominent biologists from their posts, closes two famous laboratories, and removes orthodox geneticists from committees⃛ . The Lenin Academy of Agriculture Sciences, of which body Lysenko has been president for ten years, held a Conference during July 31-August 7 of this year⃛ Lysenko's address followed familiar lines ⃛ . It denies the chromosome theory of heredity. It arraigns several Soviet biologists because their work is inconsistent with Marxist ideology and is sterile of practical results ⃛ . The objective of Lysenko's attack on Mendelism is not so much its false ideology, but rather its impotence. By insisting on the stability of the germ plasm Mendelism “condemns practical workers to fruitless waiting”. The inheritance of acquired characters is a doctrine necessary for the progress of Soviet agriculture.

From Nature11 December 1948.