COMMERCIAL EGGS IN" THE CENTRAL WEST. 51 



of larger blood rings, 4,000,000. The amount of ammoniacal nitro- 

 gen was in each case 0.0022 per cent on the wet basis. 



The counts of similar samples of eggs with blood rings which had 

 not been kept for any extended period in a chill room varied from less 

 than 1,000 to 950,000 for small blood rings and from under 1,000 to 

 4,300,000 for large blood rings. Since the blood rings which were 

 used in these samples underwent the same diversity of conditions 

 before and during marketing as did the seconds, cracked eggs, dirty 

 eggs, etc., they would be expected to show practically the same varia- 

 tions in bacterial contents. 



The amount of loosely bound nitrogen in the samples of both small 

 and large blood rings was no gTeater, and in many cases was less, 

 than that found in stale eggs. These results are in accordance with 

 those found by Pennington and Eobertson,^ which they summarize 

 as follows: 



The amount of loosely bound nitrogen in incubated eggs, as determined by 

 the Folin method, shows an interesting change. In the case of infertile eggs 

 a very noticeable and quite regular increase talies place with time, while in 

 the case of the fertile eggs the increase is very slight. Considering the content 

 of loosely bound nitrogen as a criterion of protein decomposition, this is not 

 surprising, since in the first case heat would be expected to increase catabolic 

 processes, making for simpler nitrogen compounds, while in the second case it 

 introduces metabolic or upbuilding processes. 



The product obtained from eggs containing small blood rings was 

 normal in appearance, taste, and odor; that obtained from eggs with 

 large blood rings had' a much lighter appearance ; it was normal 

 with respect to odor but had a fiat, insipid, and uninviting flavor. 

 It is evident, therefore, that changes had occurred which were re- 

 corded by the senses and not by the examinations just described. 

 Pennington and Robertson found that catalase increased in fertil'e 

 eggs during incubation, but did not increase in nonfertile eggs held 

 under the same conditions. It may be that the studies now under 

 way on the sugar content of eggs will also throw some light on the 

 changes occurring in fertile eggs during the process of incubation. 



EGGS WITH TURBIDITY IN THICK WHITE. 



It is observed that when eggs which have been in storage for some 

 time are broken, many of them have a turbidity which is localized in 

 the thick portion of the albumen, but this cloudiness disappears 

 when the eggs are warm. That this is a physical change brought 

 about by low temperatures, and not by bacterial action, is indicated by 

 the results given in Table 21 of the laboratory examination of six 

 samples of eggs with cloudiness in the thick white. 



1 U. S. Dept, of Agr., Bureau of Chemistry Cir. 104. 



