166 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



International catalogue of scientific literature. L — General biology (In- 

 termit. Cat. ,Sci. Lit., 9 {1012), pp. \'1II+117; 10 (.1913), pp. Vlll + l.iS; 11 

 (1913), pp. VIIl-\-130). — ^These volumes contain the usual indexes in four 

 languages, an autlior catalogue, and a subject catalogue of manuscripts received 

 between December, 190'J, and January, 1913. Tbe subjects included are methods, 

 general morphology, general physiology, and genei'al cytology. See also pre- 

 vious notes (E. S. R., 24, p. 670). 



The effect of previous nutrition upon metabolism during fasting, A. 

 Schlossmann and H. Murschhauser (Biochcm. Ztschr., 53 (1913), No. J/S, 

 pp. 265-299; abs. in Inteniat. Inst. Agr. [Rome], Mo. Bui. Ac/r. Intel, ami Plant 

 Diseases, Jf (1913), No. 10, p. 1511). — In experiments at the Akademische 

 Kinderklinik at Diisseldorf dogs were starved until they lost one-third of their 

 weight, when their gaseous interchange vv^as determined. One of the dogs was 

 then fed fat, another carbohydrate, and a third protein, until each had attained 

 its original weight. A fasting period of 24 hours followed, concluded by a 

 respiration experiment. In another experiment the dogs were deprived of feed 

 for periods lasting from 1 to IG days. 



It was concluded from these experiments that the respiration quotient de- 

 pends, in the case of a fasting animal, upon the substances which have pre- 

 viously taken part in building up its body. When a single substance, such as 

 glycogen or fat, is fed the body accustoms itself to consume more or less 

 glycogen or more or less fat and the respiratory quotient approaches very 

 nearly the theoretical quotient for that particular substance. With long and 

 continuous fasting, the glycogen supply is more quickly consumed than the fat 

 supply. 



Studies in the comparative biochemistry of purin metabolism. — II, The 

 excretion of purin catabolites in the urine of ungulates, A. Hunter, M. G. 

 GiVENS, ET AL. (Jouv. Biol. Ckem., IS (191.lt), No. 3, pp. ^0.3--^i6).— The studies 

 reported in this paper were conducted with the ungulate gi'oup, including the 

 sheep, goat, cow, horse, and pig, and the results compared with those obtained 

 with Carnivora, Rodentia, and Marsupialia. It was observed that " most un- 

 gulates, yet apparently not all, have a capacity for uric acid oxidation inferior 

 to that of the orders just mentioned." The " total endogenous purin metabolism 

 per unit of weight is in a general way inversely related to the size of the 

 animal ; but there are many striking exceptions, and many other factors evi- 

 dently play a part in determining this relation." 



Notes on some indigenotis and other fodder plants, C. F. Jueitz ( Union 

 So. Africa Dept. Agr. Sci. Bui. 6 (1914), PP- ~0). — Analyses are given of fodder 

 plants grown in South Africa, including vlei grass, mangolds, tussock grass, 

 Muskus grass, American aloe, prickly pear, and Kafir melon, and also of grape 

 marc. 



Statistics of British feeding trials and the starch equivalent theory, T. B. 

 Wood and G. V. Title (Jour. Agr. Sei, [England], 6 (1914), Xo. 2. pp. 233-251, 

 figs. 7). — A statistical examination wns made of the results of a large number 

 of British feeding exi>eriments. including about 200 trials with oxen and 200 

 trials with sheep with a view to determining the reliability of the starch 

 equivalent theory as applied to British conditions. 



It is concluded that "while Kellner's starch equivalents may give a fairly 

 accui'ate measure of the amount of fat production to be expected from various 

 foods in the early stages of fattening, they fail to do so in the later stages, 

 because as fattening approaches completion the law of diminishing return as- 

 serts itself, and a given amount of starch equivalent produces less and less fat 



