1920] ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 509 



Hydrolysis of the iniisch' proteins of the whale and the cod, Y. Okuda, 

 T. (iKi.MoTo, aiitl T. Yada (Jour. Col. Aijr., Imp. I'niv. Tokyo, 7 {1919), No. 1, pp. 

 ..'D-.il). — Continuing the comparison of the O(jnipositioii of the muscle sub- 

 stancos of atpiatic animals (K. S. K.. 40, p. 171), analyses are reported of the 

 liydrolysis products of the inuscl(> proteins of the whale and the cod. 



Flirt tier data concernins the aUeged relation of catalasc to animal oxi- 

 dations, U. L. Stehi-e and A. C. McCarty (Jour. Biol. Chcni., 42 (1020), No. 2, 

 pp. 269-272). — Further evidence in support of the previous sugj^estion (E. S. 

 II., 42, p. 259) that fluctuations in cataiase content of tlie blood are due to 

 Muctuations in tlie number of red blood cells and not to variations in mota- 

 holism as allefjed by Burge (K. S. R., 40, p. TOG) is presented in a series of 

 exi)erinients in which measurements were made of the CO2 production and 

 heuiojilobin and cataiase contents of rabbit and cat blood drawn to correspond 

 as nearly us possible to successive periods of normal and high metabolism, the 

 latter produced by rapid cooling of the body. 



The results of these experiments are considered to demonstrate conclusively 

 that there may be great variations in the rate of animal nretabolLsm without 

 any corresponding change in tlie cataiase content of tlie blood. 



I 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Studies in the preservation of corn silage, S. I. Bechdel {Pennsylvania 

 Sta. Rpt. 1916, pp. 323-3.'f8). — Investigations of the normal fermentation tem- 

 peratures of corn silage and the influence of the material used in constructing 

 tlie silo on the composition and quality of the silage are reported. Five silos 

 were used, two of the patent wood-stave type and one each of concrete block 

 (.solid wall), hollow-tile block, and monolithic concrete. 



The maximum temperature attained was slightly in excess of 80° F. and 

 was approximately the same with all types. Since the quality of silage was 

 excellent in all cases it is concluded that higher temperatures are unnecessary. 



Thirteen comparisons all indicated that the total acidity of silage near the 

 center of the silo is greater than that of samples collected near the walls. In 

 the later case there was also proportionally more acetic and less lactic acid, 

 a difl"erence attributed to less firm packing close to the walls. 



The proportion of lactic acid developed in the stave silos was higher than 

 in the concrete types, but otherwise there were no characteristic differences in 

 chemical composition between the silages made in the different silos. 



A contribution to the bacteriology of silage, J. M. Sherman {Pciin/tyl- 

 vania ISta. Rpt. 1916, pp. 295-300). — I'reviously noted from another source 

 (E. S. R., 35, p. 769; 3G, p. 611). 



On the hydrolysis of straw, [F.] IIoNCAjfr {Landw. Vejs. Sta., 95 {1919), 

 No. 1-3, pp. 69-89). — This paper, read at a meeting of the Association of Agri- 

 lultural Experiment Stations in Germany, consists of a general summary of 

 nu^thods used in hydrolyzing straw for feeding purposes and preliminary re- 

 ports of some digestion trials with sheep. Remarks by other speakers follow 

 the main paper. 



It is concluded that hydrolysis under pressure results in greater lo.ss of 

 organic matter than cooking in open vesseLs. Hydrolysis with sodium hydroxid 

 produced substantial increases in digestibility of rye straw, barley straw, and 

 oat straw, but only slight increases in the case of pea straw, seed beet straw, 

 and rape straw. 



Steer feeding experiments, W. II. Tomiiave and P. Gerlattgh {Pennsyl- 

 vania fit 11. Rpt. 1916, 219-251, pis. 8). — This paper is divided into three parts. 

 The experimental results reported in part 1 dealt with the place of silage in 



