Students arriving at Biology 10 on Monday expecting to learn about invertebrate biology were met at the door by Professor of Biology Kenneth J. Boss and told that the course was canceled for "medical reasons."

Boss said he was very disappointed that he had to cancel "The Biology of Invertebrate Animals."

Boss was set to teach it until the night before last, when doctors informed him his hip replacement surgery would have to be sooner than he thought.

"I'm going to have an operation, and I thought it could wait until after fall semester, but now I have to do it before December," he said. "The doctors had said, 'You'll last until January,' but I found out I can't move around very well."

Boss said he expects to be able to teach the class next year.

"I know [the surgery] has a high success rate, but I'm a biologist, so I also know a few people croak," Boss said.

"If I'm alive, I'll teach it next year in the fall and the spring also. I've already told kids who were interested," he said.

Srishti Gupta '97, who tried to take the class, said 15 to 20 students showed up to shop "The Biology of Invertebrate Animals" in Science Center 418D.

"The professor [Boss] was really nice," she said. "He was standing at the door and told us for medical reasons he couldn't teach the class."

The students were directed to take Biology 141: "Invertebrate Physiology," with Associate Professor Joseph P. Montoya, Gupta said.

Although it is normally a graduate class, Gupta added, the 10 students in it this year are mainly undergraduates.

"It won't affect me, because Bio 141 is really good and Professor Montoya understands we don't have the necessary prereqs," Gupta said. "And the new class has just as good CUE guide ratings."

But Boss said he was really upset that he can't teach the class.

"I didn't want to cancel class," Boss said. "I love to teach. It was a very unhappy moment."