230 U. S&. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
commonly known as kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera). One of these prob- 
lems was to study the nutritive value of an algin product known as 
‘“Dariloid.” This is a sodiumphosphoalginate with added sugar and 
dextrin to render the product soluble in milk with a uniform colloidal 
strength. It is used as a stabilizer in ice cream, chocolate milk, and 
other food products. 
At the close of a series of feeding experiments extending over a 
10-week period the data showed that the rats fed the substituted 
basal diet containing 5 and 10 percent of Dariloid (20 and 40 times 
the recommended additions to ice cream) were no different in appear- 
ance and grew approximately as well as the control rats fed the basal 
diet. The rats fed diets containing 20 and 30 percent of Dariloid 
(80 and 120 times the recommended additions) did not grow quite as 
well but showed no gross symptoms of toxicity either by external 
appearance or at necropsy. A few rats died early in the test period 
but no characteristic changes could be discerned at necropsy. The 
algin did not serve as roughage alone but was digested in increasing 
amounts in the diets containing the higher levels. 
The rats fed the 5 and 10 percent levels were continued on the sub- 
stituted basal diet containing 5 percent of Dariloid. These rats 
showed no symptoms of chronic toxicity after a period of 10 months, 
and. the live weights were about equal to those of the controls. Com- 
parable experiments were carried out with sodiumalginate ‘Kelgin”’ 
and approximately similar results were Gisbines when calculated to 
equivalent alginate content. 
Feeding studies also showed that [Trish moss eal agar have consider- 
able nutritive value. These data are being summarized for publica- 
tion. 
KELP MEAL IN ANIMAL FEEDING 
Several years ago a cooperative projecte was inaugurated between 
this Bureau and the Dairy Departments of the University of Maryland 
and of the State Agricultural Experiment Station at College Park, Md.., 
in which 1t was hoped to determine whether kelp meal could be used 
as a supplement in the diet of dairy cattle for improving reproduction. 
Tine study is being continued with producing or lactating dairy cows 
on a more extensive scale, and it is believed that information of con- 
line ole interest and benefit to both the dairy industry and to the 
producers of seaweed meals wil result from these experiments. It is 
generally understood that tests of this kind with large farm animals, 
such as dairy cows, require several years for the production of con- 
clusive results. Up to the present time, however, quite definite 
improvements in the reproduction records of the animals fed kelp 
meal have been noted. 
POSSIBLE TOXIC PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN FISH MEALS 
Last year studies were begun to determine the feeding value of 
several fish meals which were stored under unfavorable conditions of 
high humidity and heat. Pilchard meal, a type of white meal made 
from various kinds of ground fish, and menhaden meal were tested. 
Chicks were used largely as test animals and were fed diets in which 
the various experimental fish meals supplied nearly all of the protein. 
The data obtained on this experiment indicate that chicks could be 
