ANNUAL REPORT, 1936 21 



accurately by means of a pedigree index — said index being based on indexes 

 of the sire, two grandsires, and the sires of the two grandams, together with 

 records on the dam and the two grandams, as indicated above. Occasionally 

 errors up to 15 or 20 percent wil! result, probably because the indexes were 

 based on too small a proportion or on a selected number of a bull's daughters. 

 Greater accuracy could probably be attained, if desired, by testing most of the 

 daughters of a bull rather than a selected few. 



The Relation of Birth Weight to Vitality and Growth Rate in Lambs. 



(Ralph W. Phillips.) A study of the birth weights and growth rates of 110 

 Shropshire lambs born in the college flock shows that the lambs which are 

 heavier at birth have a better chance of surviving and are heavier at 4, 6, and 

 12 months than the lighter lambs. A summary of the data follows: 



Percent Born Average Weight of 



Number Dead or Dead Those in Hock at 



Birth Weight of Lambs Within 1 Mo. 4 Mo. 6 Mo. 12 Mo 



8 lbs. and below 53 20.3 51.3 64.1 84.0 



Over 8 lbs 57 0.0 59.6 77.0 93.4 



Only 50 percent of the lambs weighing 6 pounds and under survived to the 

 age of one month. 



The Development of the Testes and Scrotum of the Boar. (Ralph W. 

 Phillips.) This project is reported in Bulletin 331 issued during the year. 



The Speed of Travel of Ram Spermatozoa. (Ralph W. Phillips and 

 Fred N. Andrews.) Ram spermatozoa were found to be able to cover a distance 

 of 38.1 cm. in vitro suspended in Ringer's and Normal NaCl solutions at an 

 average speed of 4.83 mm. per minute. The speed was greater at first and 

 gradually decreased, the speed observed over each of six portions of the total 

 distance being as follows: (1) 15.45, (2) 12.28, (3) 3.56, (4) 7.82, (5) 4.58, and 

 (6) 2.28 mm. per minute. The above results were with normal spermatozoa. 

 In trials with spermatozoa of which a large proportion were abnormal, the rate 

 was slower and in some cases spermatozoa failed to cover the first portion of the 

 distance. 



In the genital tract of the ewe, spermatozoa were observed to cover a similar 

 distance (37.2 cm.) at a rate as rapid as 12.4 mm. per minute. 



A Survey of Graduate Study in Animal Husbandry. (Fred N. Andrews 

 and Ralph W. Phillips.) Data from twenty-five state colleges and universities 

 indicate the following distribution of subject matter upon which theses pre- 

 pared by graduate students in these institutions have been based. 



General Subject of Thesis 



Genetics 



Breed History 



Nutrition 



Livestock Production 



Physiology 



Physiology of Reproduction ... 



Meats 



Miscellaneous or not stated... 



Totals 203 22 



