ANIMAL PEODUCTTON. 275 



U :2ll, and with the sires between 10 nnd 11 years of age, 2:21. After that 

 there was a Ki"ulnal diniinntion, until at 20 years of age the sires produced a 

 get with a mean speed of about 2 :2o^. The mean speed of the get was, there- 

 fore, about 2:22, dropping but slightly with the advanced age of the sire. 



"A study of the table and of the graphic representation of the means points 

 to the conclusion that there is a very slight correlation between' the advanced 

 age of the sire and a reduced speed record in the offspring. This correlation is, 

 however, so small that it can not support an argument in favor of the young 

 sire, and hence we can safely say that the age of the sire, in trotting-bred 

 horses, exerts no practical influence upon the transmission of speed to the 

 offspring." 



Investigations on the influences that affect the length, of pregnancy of 

 domesticated animals, P. Sabatini {Untersuchungen iibcr die Tragezeit bei 

 L'nscren- Wichtigsteii Hausticrcn. Inaitg. Diss., Univ. Jena, 1908, pp. 107). — 

 This has been previously noted from another source (E. S. R., 20, p. 1170). 



[Function of the interstitial cells of the testis], R. H. Whitehead {Aiiat. 

 Rrc, 2 (inOS), Xo. 5, pp. 177-181; 3 (1909), Ao. ^, p. 26//).— The study of an 

 abdominal and a scrotal testis of a horse, of a scrotal testis of a mule, and of a 

 hermaphrodite horse supports the view of Aucel and Bouiu that the manifesta- 

 tion of sexual instinct in the male mammals is due to a secretion of the inter- 

 stitial cells. In all cases spermatozoa were absent, but the interstitial cells 

 were abundant and consisted of normal cells with granules and of lipochrome 

 cells. 



The ligaments of the oviduct of the domestic fowl, Maynie R. Curtis (Maine 

 Hta. Bill. 17(), pp. 20. pis. 4, flus. 5). — This bulletin describes the oviduct of the 

 fowl and its development, and pi-eseuts the results of a detailed anatomical 

 study of the ligaments. 



It is shown that the ligaments of the oviduct possess a definite and well de- 

 veloped musculature, which is continuous with the outer muscular layer of the 

 oviduct. The dorsal and ventral ligaments undergo a progressive change in 

 shape and size as the oviduct enlarges in preparation for functional activity. 

 The mutual relations of the abdominal viscera are such as virtually to form a 

 pocket in which the ovary lies. This walling off of the ovary is of such charac- 

 ter as to tend mechanically to direct detached ova to the mouth of the oviduct. 



" When a laying period is approached the growing yolks on the ovary crowd 

 the viscera caudad. The intestine and cecum are forced backward and down- 

 ward from the ovary. The mesentery of the intestine, the intestine itself, the 

 peritoneum joining the left cecum of the intestine, and the left cecum itself, form 

 a partition between the ovary and the other viscera. This partition is incom- 

 plete dorsal to the end of the left cecum and lateral to the anterior end of the 

 n-ctinn. This si)ace is at the caudolateral angle of the ovary and here the 

 mouth of the funnel is si)read out facing that organ. It is thus in the position 

 most advantageous to rt^ceive the mature yolks." 



How many eggs can a hen lay? Mrs. Handeik (Ztschv. Landw. Kammcr 

 f^chlrsien, IJ, (1910), Ao. /.7. pp. //5/-//.7.:?).— The annual egg yields of 3 different 

 liens are reported, one hen laying 473 eggs in 3 years, anotlier 001 eggs in 4 years, 

 and a third 1.0.S4 eggs in S years. At the end of these i>eriods the liens were 

 killed, so that it is not known exactly how many eggs they were capable of 

 laying. 



Comparative weights of beef cattle, J. A. S. Watson and E. Harrison 

 ( Itnrdrr's (!(i:.. .77 (1910). \<t. /N, />/>. 1072, 1073).— The average age. weights, 

 and gains iicr day in tli(» dilferent classes of jnire bred beef cattle, shown at the 

 Internationa] Live Stock Expositions for 1907, lOOS, and 1909. are presented in 

 tabular form. 



