368 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, No. 1448 



clear after sterilization and has given excellent 

 results as a bacteriological medium. 



Franklin W. Marsh 

 U. S. Depaetment of Agkicultuke 



THE EFFECT OF FEEDING VELVET BEANS 

 TO PIGEONS 



Three groups of three mature pigeons each 

 were fed as follows : 



Pen I: Ground velvet beans. 



Pen II: Ground velvet beans plus aqueous ex- 

 tract of riee bran. 



Pen III: Ground velvet beans plus aqueous ex- 

 tract of riee bran plus 10 per cent, butterfat. 



The beans were fed dry and at the start were 

 eaten readily. Pens II and III were given an. 

 aqueous extract of riee bran as the sole source 

 of drinking water. 



On the second day after feeding the beans, 

 all birds showed ruffled feathers and a drawn- 

 up, sleepy appearance. On the fourth day, 

 one bird in Pen I and one in Pen II died. The 

 remaining birds were in very poor condition. 

 The loss in weight averaged about 80 grams. 



Check hirds receiving polished rice made 

 slight gains during the same period, and were 

 apparently in thrifty condition. On the fourth 

 day the feed was changed to polished rice in 

 all pens. One bird in Pen III was too weak 

 to eat and was hand-fed on polished rice. Re- 

 covery was rapid in all eases. 



Two pigeons were then fed ground velvet 

 beans from another source. They rapidly de- 

 veloped the appearance of the birds in the 

 former test. Both died on the eighth day. 



Ground velveit beans were forced into the 

 crops of two pigeons that had developed symp- 

 toms of severe polyneuritis. A decided im- 

 provement in condition was noticed. The 

 birds died, however, on the following night in 

 one case and on the second day in the other. 



An aqueous extract of velvet beans fuimished 

 as the sole source of drinking water to pigeons 

 receiving polished rice, apparently delayed the 

 onset of polj-neuritis, but did not entirely pre- 

 vent it. The difference in appearance of the 

 birds receiving the extract and of check birds 

 receiving polished rice alone was striking. The 

 feathers of the former remained smooth and 

 glossy, while those of the latter soon became 

 dry and rough looking. These results seem to 



indicate at least a small amount of water solu- 

 ble B in the beans. 



An effort will be made to ascertain the cause 



of the ill effect. .,^ ^ „ 



W. D. Salmon 

 South Carolina Espeeimbnt Station, 

 Glemson College, S. C. 



A CHEMICAL SPELLING MATCH 



A UNIQUE modification of the old-time 

 spelling bee was staged at the West Virginia 

 University last May with rather remarkable 

 success. 



At the suggestion of the writer the chemical 

 faculty of the university ■ arranged to hold a 

 contest among the 376 students taking the 

 coui-se in general inorganic chemistry, and this 

 contest was to be a public match for the spell- 

 ing of chemical formula? of such compounds 

 as are ordinarily included in a first year's col- 

 lege course in chemistry. 



These students are nonnally divided into 

 sixteen quiz sections, and it was evident that 

 go many could not be brought on the floor at 

 the same time for spelling. Therefore, eight 

 preliminary matches were held at seven o'clock 

 in the evening of the final match, where two 

 sections, in charge of two instructors, spelled 

 against each other, and then a number chosen 

 from each of these groups, representing one 

 out of every eight students, who became eligible 

 to the final match. 



The preliminaries lasted about one hour, 

 after which all the students assembled in the 

 annory and the winners lined up for the final 

 contest. Professor Samuel Morris pronounced 

 the words, and three well-known chemists, not 

 connected with the department, acted as judges. 

 For example, ortho phosphoric acid was given, 

 and the student whose turn it was replied by 

 sa3dng "HgPO^." 



Upwards of 700 formulfe were prepared for 

 the instructors' use at the preliminaries, and 

 then 50 to 60 additional formulte in case of 

 emergency for the final match. As a prize, 

 Mr. J. F. Cadden, the winner, was presented 

 with a copy of Mellor's "Modern Inorganic 

 Chemistry." The last five students to spell 

 down were presented with attractive certificates 

 bearing the university seal. 



A great deal of enthusiasm and rivaby be- 



