August 22, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



185 



grain ration, develop scurvy later, do not as 

 a rule lose in weight, but on the contrary 

 often gain in weight, live considerably longer 

 and are in a much better physical condition, 

 with the exception that scurvy usually de- 

 velops, than those animals receiving 25 c.c. of 

 milk from cows on a winter ration of groimd 

 oats, com and barley, com silage and alfalfa 

 hay. We attribute this, tentatively, to the in- 

 creased amount of fat soluble A in the " green 

 grass " milk. We are now conducting experi- 

 ments to ascertain the nature of this growth 

 promoting substance. 



In this preliminary paper we wish to state 

 that our experimental work indicates, quite 

 conclusively, that raw, lean beef does not 

 possess antiscorbutic properties, so far as those 

 properties can be tested by observations on 

 guinea pigs. We have fed a cold water ex- 

 tract of meat representing 5, 10, 15 and 20 

 grams of meat, respectively, to guinea pigs 

 receiving a basal diet of oats (ad libitum) and 

 25 c.c. of autoclaved milk. In all eases the 

 guinea pigs developed scurvy just as soon as 

 those animals which received nothing but oats 

 and milk. When 5 c.c. of orange juice 

 (daily) were added to the oats-milk diet and 

 to the oats-milk-meat extract diet, all animals 

 grew normally and no scurvy developed. We 

 have not depended upon external symptoms 

 and autopsies, solely, but have substantiated 

 our findings by histological examination of 

 the bones. 



Owing to the fact that the guinea pig is a 

 herbivorous animal, we have experienced some 

 difficulty in being able to feed definite quanti- 

 ties of solid raw meat. By incorporating 

 finely chopped meat into dry, rolled oats we 

 have been able to show that scurvy will develop 

 in practically the same time as when the meat 

 extract was fed. 



The experimental data will be published in 

 the near future. 



E. Adams Butcher, 

 Edith M. Pferson, 

 Alice Biester 



Section of Animal Nuteition, 

 Div. OP Age. Biochem. and 

 Div. or Home Economics, 

 TJniversitt or Minnesota 



AURORAL DISPLAYS 



Following a faint arch which was visible 

 between 9 and 10 p.m. (75th mer. time), 

 August 10, a crimson aurora extending over 

 the northern sky and up to the magnetic zenith 

 was observed here just before dawn, August 

 11, 1919. At 3 : 50 a.m. I noticed through the 

 haze a curtain-like arch with a changing base 

 which averaged about 15° above the horizon in 

 the north, and with ends fading out in the 

 east and west. At 4:00 a.m. a large portion 

 of the western sky above 20° altitude became 

 lighted with a vivid crimson glow. This color- 

 ing spread east above the whitish arch on the 

 north until from 4 : 05 to 4 : 10 most of the 

 northern sky from the zenith down to an alti- 

 tude of about 25° was covered with it. The 

 time of greatest brilliance was at 4 : 05 a.m., 

 when whitish streamers were sharply defined 

 in an arch which crossed the meridian between 

 pole-star and zenith. These streamers con- 

 verged at the magnetic zenith and formed a 

 faint northern half of the auroral corona. 

 After 4 : 15 the light of dawn augmenting that 

 of the full moon dimmed the aurora till at 

 4 : 25 its last faint shafts of light were fading. 



Wliitish streamers were visible again at 

 8 : 35 P.M. about 50-60° up in the north, and 

 for a little while there was a faint suggestion 

 of an auroral arch: but the cirrus clouds, 

 dense haze and full moon prevented further 

 discernment of this display. 



Charles F. Brooks 



Chevy Chase, 

 Washington, D. C. 



An unusual demonstration of the Aurora 

 Borealis occurred at Ogunquit, Maine, on the 

 night of August 11. The lights began at 

 about 9 : 40 p.m. with the appearance of long, 

 thin cloudlike masses extending horizontally 

 a little west of north and about 25° above the 

 horizon. This almost at once passed into cur- 

 tain masses to the east, which remained less 

 than ten minutes. The next (third) phase 

 began by the sudden shooting up from the 

 lower cloudlike masses of the long ribs of 

 streak light which extended clear to the zenith. 



