340 Antisera for Aves 



chloroform to evaporate off. In the case of the egg-albumins accurate 

 dilutions of 1 in 21 are difficult to make, and consequently the results 

 of quantitative experiments are not so trustworthy as those done on sera. 

 The sera were of various ages, but the majority were derived from animals 

 which were killed for the purpose. Some, however, came from animals 

 which had died from disease. The great majority of the specimens 

 tested were bloods dried on filter-paper, and preserved in this way for 

 various periods of time. Some of these were apparently insoluble in 

 salt solution and failed to react with any antisera, but the rest gave 

 tinted solutions, which foamed well on shaking. Nearly all these bloods 

 had been tested by Dr Nuttall with various mammalian and avian anti- 

 sera. The results of these experiments have been tabulated by him in the 

 preceding pages (pp. 300 et seq.), and in the following tables the number 

 attached to each specimen by him is quoted, so that the results of tests 

 with mammalian, avian, egg-albumin, reptilian, amphibian, and crustacean 

 antisera can be followed. 



In a few cases, in which it was found impossible to obtain blood 

 serum, extracts of muscle in salt solution were made. After standing the 

 supernatant fluid was usually clear and slightly tinted, and produced 

 foam on shaking. The few specimens obtained in this way are marked 

 ' extracts ' in the tables. 



It may here be stated that the specimens were not tested in their 

 zoological order, but in the order in which they were obtained. Con- 

 sequently it was only after the observations had been reduced to 

 zoological order that any conclusions could be arrived at as to the 

 general results of the experiments. 



The results of the tests with each antiserum upon all the specimens 

 are given in the tables at the end of this section. The following short 

 tables summarize the actions of the antisera upon zoological groups of 

 egg-albumins and bloods. 



I. Antisera for Aves. 



A. Qualitative Tests with Antisera to Birds' Egg-Albumins. 



(1) Tests with Anti- Emu Egg Serum. 



This antiserum was made by the repeated intraperitoneal injection 

 into a Rabbit of Emu egg-albumin (Dromaeus novae-hollandiae). 



