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Bromelia fastuosa, Tragia volubilis («ihsihpó-pihnò »), Manihot Tweedieeana (« guazü-mandio »), some Euphorbiaceae, Polygonum acre (caá-tás), Brunfelsia Hopeana (« jazmin del Paraguay» or «azucena », but rarely eaten by animals), Solanum sisymbriifolium (« revienta caballos » or « putui»), Tabernaemontana Hilariana and T. australis, Spaticarpa sagittifolia (which is avoided by live stock), Equisetum giganteum (which contains aconitic acid, or a nearly allied substance). The writer adds that this list is certainly still incomplete.

695

Investigations into the Micro-Flora of the Large Intestine of Cow and Sheep.― CHOUKEVITSCH, JEAN in Annales de l'Institut Pasteur, Year 27, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 246-263. Paris, March 25, 1913.

The writer investigated the colon and caecum of five cows and five sheep, and found that the micro-flora in the organs of these two kinds of animals was not very dissimilar. Theb acteria present in the large intestine of the cow are chiefly cocci and rod-bacilli; coli-bacteria always occur in large numbers; strepto-cocci, often in the degeneration stage and encysted, are present in largest numbers in the caecum, or in the upper part of the colon. Towards the rectum, the signs of degeneration become increasingly clear. The short-rods, which often occur in reduced numbers, form nospores within the intestine; they measure 0.3 μ by 4 to 6 p. The micro-flora of the colon of the cow differs from that of the horse (previously studied by the writer) in that the rare bacteria are more numerous in the former; also the bacteria in the cow's intestine seem to preserve their morphological characters better. To determine the species, the most varied cultures were made and the writer succeded in isolating, in addition to those already mentioned, the following species.

I. Agents of putrefaction: Bacillus proteus vulgaris, B. Welchi, B. putrificus, B. sporogenes A, B. sporogenes B, B. sporogenes foetidus, B. sporogenes parvus.

II. Proteolytic bacteria (not including agents of putrefaction): Bacillus Ellenbachensis, B. hastiformis, B. flavescens liquefians, B. amylolyticus, B. mesentericus, B. megatherium, B. pyocyaneus, B. mycoides, Chlostridium proteolyticum. In B. mesentericus the ruber-form was found more commonly than the vulgatus form.

III. Bacteria decomposing cellulose, hemicellulose and starch: Bacillus gazogenes, Bacterium Rodella III, Bacillus amylobacter (butyricus), B. amyli tenuis, B. Welchi, B. mesentericus, B. Ellenbachensis, B. amylolyticus, B. mycoides. The formation of gas in the colon is attributed to the Rodella III group.

IV. Bacteria of acid media: Bacterium Merejkowsky I, B. Moro, Streptobacillus anaerobicus magnus, Bacterium rosescens, Bacillus megalosporus, B. tenuis; occasionally a coccus resembling Micrococcus candicans was isolated.

Of these bacteria, some always occur in the intestine, forming the constant micro-flora of this organ: Bacterium coli, cocci, Bacterium Moro, B. Merejkowsky I, Bacillus Welchi (perfrigens), B. putrificus, B. sporogenes A,

ANATOMY AND
PHYSIOLOGY

B. hastiformis, B. flavescens, B. gazogenes, B. Ellenbachensis, B. mesentericus, Bacterium Rodella III, and those decomposing cellulose. Bacillus amyli tenuis is probably also constantly present.

In sheep, the micro-flora is richer in species; streptococci are more numerous and usually more degenerated. In addition to those mentioned as found in the intestine of the cow, the following were isolated: Bacillus tenuis non-liquefaciens, B. irregularis, B. ramiformans, Sarcina flava, Vibrio terrigenes Güntheri, Actinomyces albus, Bacillus hervolvulus Zimmermanni. The following always occur in the color.: Bacterium coli, cocci, Bacterium Moro, B. Merejkowsky I, Bacillus Welchi, B. putrificus, B. sporogenes A, B. sporogenes B, B. mesentericus, B. Ellenbachensis, B. hastiformis, B. flavescens, B. gazogenes, B. amyli tenuis, Bacterium Rodella III, cellulose-decomposing bacteria.

As the writer found a similar flora in horse, cow and sheep, and always bacteria which decompose cellulose, hemicellulose and starch, he considers that the composition of the flora depends less upon the species of animal than upon the kind of food consumed by the latter. In a later work the little-known species will be described.

696 Fluctuations in the Body Temperature before Parturition in Cow, Sheep and Goat. LIMMER in Deutsche Landwirtschaftliche Tierzucht, Year 17, No. 13. pp. 149-150. Hannover, March 28, 1913.

The results of the examination of the body temperature at the end of the last period of gestation in the case of 50 Black-spotted Lowland cows and of sheep and goats were as follows: The temperature rises during advanced gestation and sinks again before parturition; the fall begins in the case of the cow at II 1/2 to 56 hours before calving and in that of the sheep a week before lambing. In goats, a second decrease in temperature occurs one day previous to parturition.

697

The Pepsin and Chymosin Question. RAKOCZY, A. in Hoppe-Seyler's Zeitschrift für Physiologische Chemie, Vol. 84, Part 5, pp. 329-353. Strassburg, 1913. Experiments on the coagulation and digestion of milk in the stomachs of various mammals, according to which young ruminants, foals and pigs secrete, as well as pepsin, an independent ferment (chymosin) which coagulates milk. Opossums only produce pepsin, and the milk is coagulated by the action of this ferment. As neither pepsin nor chymosin is found in the stomachs of dogs and cats, the causes of milk coagulation in their case are unknown.

698

Report of the Zoometrical Studies made in 1912 at the Shows at Paris, Rouen and Poitiers. - VOITELLIER in Bulletin Mensuel de l'Office de Renseignements Agricoles, Year 12, No. 1, pp. 46-63. Paris, January 1913.

The measurement data and the live weight estimations made on specimens of most of the French breeds of cattle, of three breeds of sheep (Charnoise, Oxford Down, Dishley-Merino), and of one breed of donkeys (Poitou). The height at the withers was taken as a basis for the measurements.

699 The Fertility of Hybrids in a Mammalian Species-Cross.

DETLEFSEN, J. in American Breeder's Magazine, Vol. III, No. 4, pp. 261-265. Washington, October, November, December 1912.

Sterility is a common phenomenon in the hybrids obtained by mating members of distantly related groups or types, in both animals and plants. In case both sexes are sterile, a further genetic study becomes impossible. When one sex alone among the hybrids is sterile, that sex is usually the male; and since the females are fertile, it becomes possible to study their inheritance of characters and fertility of offspring by crossing them back to the males of either parent species.

Among mammals, at least, work on inheritance and fertility in species crosses is in its inception. The consensus of opinion is that the cross between horse and ass results in sterile male mules, but that the female mule is occasionally fertile with either the horse or ass (Waldow von Wahl, 1907). The zebroid (zebra X horse) in supposed to be sterile in both sexes (Ewart 1899; Ivanoff 1911); the same is true of the zebrale (zebra X ass). When the cow and bison are crossed, they produce fertile female catteloes, but sterile males (Bond, 1908; Ivanoff, 1911). These female hybrids were crossed back to males of both parent stocks: the one-quarter bison females are fertile; the three-quarters were not fully tested, but are possibly also fertile. The one-quarter bison males are not always fertile, but Ivanoff reports a fertile three-quarters biso male.

The writer worked out the progeny of a cross between the wild Brazilian cavy (Cavia rufescens) and the domesticated guinea-pig (Cavia porcellus). The two forms differ consistently and clearly in colour, texture of hair, size, shape of skulls and skull sutures, tooth formation, etc. The original crosses between the two species were the result of mating the wild males to the tame females, but matings were secured with much difficulty. The reciprocal cross was not attempted, as it was feared that the smaller wild female would succumb in pregnancy when mated to the much larger tame males. The tame females bore their hybrid young in due time and with the usual guinea-pig average per litter, thus proving that the wild males were wholly fertile.

Having obtained these half-wild hybrids, the females were mated back to the wild males and the tame guinea-pig males, producing threequarters and one-quarter wild respectively. The matings to the wild males were not very successful, and only one three-quarters wild male was reared to maturity. The latter proved sterile. The matings to the tame males were wholly successful and produced 83 one-quarter wild. The hybrid females of one generation back were mated to tame guinea-pig males and over 1700 hybrids of various blood dilutions were produced, ranging from 14 wild to 1/12 wild.

The problems to be resolved were as follows: how great must be the blood dilution, or for how many generations must the hybrid females be crossed back to the guinea-pig, to eventually produce fertile male hybrids? When fertile male hybrids are produced, would their offspring

BREEDING

be fertile in both sexes, if such males were mated to their hybrid sisters or guinea-pig females?

The breeding test being hardly sufficient to decide an animal's fertility, the writer devised a new test. He obtained a complete index of the males’ fertility by making a small incision in the scrotum, puncturing the epididymis at one or two points and examining the liquid contents with the aid of a microscope. There was a great difference between individual hybrids; some males might not possess any sperm at all, but in their place were found a few, or many, in completely matured spermatogonia; others possessed a few non-motile or motile spermatozoa in addition. Still others might have an abundance of motile spermatozoa, just as any normal male. All grades and combinations were found; but the last class alone could be successfully mated to females. The fertility of the hybrid males is shown by the following table:

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After a careful examination of the mobility of the spermatozoa, the writer considers that every male which has an abundance of motile spermatozoa is undoubtedly fertile. Such fertile males are especially numerous in hybrids with least wild blood, as is shown by the table.

The male hybrids derived from crosses between a fertile male hybrid and a female hybrid, gave all grades between absolute sterility and fertility; but when a fertile male hybrid was mated to a guinea-pig female, all the male offspring were fertile.

The guinea-pig colour, coat, size and anatomical characters were transferred to the hybrids. Any combination of these characters may be united with fertility. It is conceivable that desired characters in hybrids between other mammalian species (including cattaloes and mules) may be combined with fertility of both sexes, in the same manner.

700

Mendelism and Interspecific Hybrids. Cook, O. T. in The American Naturalist, Vol. XLVII, No. 556, pp. 239-245. Lancaster-Garrison-New York, April 1913. A criticism of Dr. Nabour's treatise on crossing Bos indicus with Bos taurus, which appeared in No. 547 of the above-mentioned periodical (1).

701

The Exportation of German Stud Stock, especially to the Colonies. NEUMANN in Deutsche Landwirtschaftliche Presse, Year 40, pp. 311-313. Berlin, March 29, 1913.

The writer estimates from the official statistics that in 1909, 7128 horses were exported from Germany, of which 5123 were horses for the knacker, 929 draught horses, 798 carriage, riding and race horses, 99 ponies, 97 stallions and 82 foals. The horses for slaughter and those used for purposes other than breeding, were chiefly sent to Switzerland, while the stallions went to the Netherlands and the foals to Austria-Hungary. German stud horses were also imported by Belgium, Denmark, France, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States (28 stallions), Brazil, German South-West Africa (8). Many animals of the Holstein, Oldenburg, Hanoverian and East Prussian breeds were exported.

In 1909, 10 455 head of cattle were exported, of which 36 per cent. were bullocks for the butcher. Most of the butcher's beasts were sent to Switzerland, the stud cattle going to Austria-Hungary, Russia (255), German South-West Africa (73), Kamerun (7), Chile (12), Brazil (5), and the United States (3). The Black-spotted Lowland cattle are in much request abroad, especially in Russia and Austria-Hungary. Red-spotted Holsteins, and especially Angles, are prized in the Russian Baltic Provinces. In addition were exported cattle of the Grey-Brown Mountain, Höhen Spotted (to Russia, Argentina, China), Frankish, Red Central German, Pinzgau and Algäu breeds.

Of the 53 889 sheep exported the same year, most of those destined for mutton were sent to Switzerland. German stud sheep went to Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, Denmark, Servia, British South Africa, German South-West Africa, Australia, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile.

The number of goats and pigs exported was negligible.

The exportation of cattle to German East Africa, German South-West Africa and Kamerun is attended by the following restrictions which came into force on January 8, 1913.

1) Cattle may only be exported from districts which are declared free from foot-and-mouth disease, and from herds in which there has been no case of this disease for eight months.

2) The vendor is required to produce official proofs of the fulfilment of these conditions.

3) Animals may only be exported from Hamburg, and before embarkation must remain for 14 days under observation at the inspection station established by the German Agricultural Society in that city. (2).

(1) See No. 1318, B. Sept. 1912, for a notice of this article. (2) Founded in 1909.

(Ed.).

WORK OF LIVE-STOCK ASSOCIATIONS

AND OTHERS

FOR THE ENCOURAGE

MENT OF

BREEDING

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