470 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



[Vol. 40 



true " runts." In many cases at least they are not distinguishable from normal 

 rats at birth. In the experience of the workers at the Wistar Institute these 

 runts are invariably sterile. 



Some effects of the continued administration of alcohol to the domestic 

 fowl, with special reference to the progeny, R. Pearl (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sri.. 2 

 (1916), A'o. 12, pp. 675-683). — The experimental data included in this report 

 were secured at the Maine Experiment Station during the breeding and rearing 

 season of 1916, and confirm the observations of the 1915 season (E. S. R.. 87, 

 p. 370; 39. p. 177) that the prenatal mortality of chicks from alcoholic parents 

 was greater than that of those from normal parents, but that the posnatal 

 mortality was less. 



During this year a careful record was kept of all structural abnormalities, 

 however trifling, discovered on the live chicks and those dead in shell. In the 

 series from alcoholic parents the percentage of abnormalities was 10.8; in that 

 from untreated controls it was 10.2. The difference is not considered si. 

 cant. The hypothesis developed to explain the results is that the alcohol 

 inhaled by the parents has a selective action on the germ cells, eliminating 

 those not capable of giving rise to vigorous chicks. 



A side light on the mode of action of alcohol is furnished by additional experi- 

 ments In which eggs from normal stock were exposed to alcohol fumes in the 

 incubator for periods of one, two, or three weeks from the beginning of incuba- 

 tion. The results are set forth in the following table: 



Influence of alcohol on mortality of chicles from alcoholized cya*. 



It is held that the prenatal mortality rate was selective, sinee. except in the 

 lot exposed for the entire incubation period where treatment was severe enough 

 to injure most of the embryos, the higher the prenatal death rate the lower 

 the mortality among hatched chicks. 



Commercial feeding stuffs, 1917-18, C. I >. WOODS [Maine Sta. Off. Insp. 89 

 (1918), pp. 77-100). — A report of analyses of about 860 samples of feeding 

 stuffs received from July 1, 1917, to June .".(>. 1918, Including cottonseed meal, 

 linseed meal, gluten feed, gluten meal, dried brewers' and distillers' grains, 

 wheat bran, middlings, red dog Hour, hominy meal, corn meal, alfalfa meal, 

 meat scrap, and proprietary and mixed feeds. 



[Use of sunflower silage], E. Rtt.ke (Montana sta. Rpt 1917. p. 2',0).— The 

 average of four analyses of sunflower silaue reported shows water 7> 

 l.tl. protein 2.2, crude fiber G.8, nitrogen-free extract 10.3, and ether extract 1X6 

 per cent. These figures show close resemblance to published analyses of corn 

 silage and confirm the view (!".. S. K.. .".:>, p. 182) that this silage is a very 

 satisfactory feed fur dairy cattle. 



[Alfalfa and sweet clover as pasture], J. A. BoLOBn (£7. 8. Dept. \ar.. Hur. 

 Plant Indus., Work Scottsbluff Expt. Farm, 1U17, pp. 15-19, 25).— From May IB 



