484 EXPERIMENTAL EXPRESSION. 



Polished rice, the staple deficient basal diet in the exi:)erimental 

 work on beri-beri in the past, is held to be far from " vitamine 

 free," and is regarded as containing residual vitamine equiva- 

 lent to at least half of average avian or human requirements. 



{Read, July 5. 1917.) 



Seaweed as Fodder. — Analyses of sam]>les of Fuciis 

 vesiciilosus, both in the fresh and in the dried and ground con- 

 dition, have recently been made with a view to utilisation as 

 stock- food. The following: results are recorded : — 



'i-i 



Fresh. Dry. 



Moisture 37-97 11 .82 



Protein TO.53 6.50 



Fat 1.65 3.43 



Nitrogen-free extract 26.78 41-93 



Fibre 8 . 95 20 . 00 



Ash '4- 13 16.32 



The fresh seaweed is richer in protein than the ground dry 

 seaweed, but contains less fat and fibre. Usually seaweed con- 

 tains but little protein or fat, but a large (juantity of nitrogen-free 

 extract and fibre. Recent experiments in Norway, France, and 

 Germany show that food of this class ma}' well be given to 

 animals, and leaves no trace of its smell in either meat or eggs 

 of animals exj^erimented on. The nutritive value of the sea- 

 weed appears to depend chiefly on the nitrogen-free extract, 

 which consists principally of lichen-starch, arabinose. rf-galac- 

 tose, etc. The fibre is probably also easily digested. It seems 

 most advisable to give the seawood in the ground dry state, as a 

 supplementary food, especially to cattle and pigs. 1:)ut its nutritive 

 value must not be overrated. 



Early Man in America. — E. S. Balch, in a paper read 

 before the American Pbilosophical Society,* summarises the pre- 

 sent status of knowledge about early man in America. He 

 believes that early man was there ; that lie lived during at least 

 part of the Pleistocene period for tens of thousands of 5ears 

 south of the Glacial moraines ; that he probably went through an 

 eolithic period, and certainly through a Chelleen period in some 

 places, and therefore was truly a Paheolithic man. Paleolithic 

 American man was the ancestor of the Neolithic historic Indian, 

 and, although less advanced in culture, much like his descendant 

 in anthropological characteristics. 



'■ Proc. Amcr. Phil. Soc. (1C17). 56, |6], 473-483. 



