m 



Naturalist. 



No. 21 six and cow No. 26 four. The numbered germs from 

 the last named animals are representative of but three milking 

 dates each. It is thus a possibility, that further milking dates 

 for these cows might have given others of those common to 

 cow No. 24. While this point last named, is probably a cor- 

 rect consideration, it is nevertheless quite clearly indicated 

 that the great majority of germs are but incidental in a given 

 udder or teat to the date, perhaps, to the environments of the 

 animal. There are, however, certain few germs found which 

 when once present in a teat or udder, remain with marked pre- 

 sistence. For this capability, these are found to possess what 

 are presumably the proper physiological functions or require- 

 ments, as for example, capability to properly thrive in or with- 

 stand the normal temperature of the animal's body, and anae- 

 robic or semi-anaerobic faculties. 



As in the case of the paper previously mentioned, this is 

 given not as final evidence to convince upon the points men- 

 tioned or suggested, but rather as a record of preliminary work 

 accomplished. 



Again, an interesting fact is the comparatively low number 

 of species per milk sample. In the first work, winter collect- 

 ions, the range was from one to four species, in this it is one to 

 five with a rather high average number. It is also interesting, 

 though perhaps to be expected.that quantitative determinations 

 vary from low to high numbers for different milkings, very 

 much in accord to these last named figures. 



North Dakota Experiment Station, Fargo, N. D Auaust 20 

 1895. • y ' * 



LIFE BEFORE FOSSILS. 

 By Charles Morris. 

 The beginning of life upon the earth is one of those myste- 

 ries which, to judge from what we now know about it, seems 

 likely never to be solved by ascertained facts. There are mod- 



