Romney Marsh Sheep. 
367 
1,000 head, consisting of tegs, ewes bringing up their lambs, and 
fatting sheep, in the dry and trying year of 1893, an average weight 
of 8 lb. per sheep, the wool being washed on the sheep. 
The Romney Marsh sheep seem well adapted to cross with 
other breeds. The result of crossing with the Merino shows that 
the extra weight and long staple are secured, while the wool assimi- 
lates to the fineness of texture of that highly valued breed. 
In this country, too, the ewes are frequently purchased from the 
Marsh graziers and crossed with Shropshire, Hampshire Down, or 
Southdown rams, for the purpose of breeding early lambs for fatting, 
with excellent results. 
To recapitulate what has been stated— the result of years of 
careful selection, combined with the varied conditions of feed, and 
roughness of climate, of its native home in the Marsh, have now 
produced a breed which stands first for hardiness and healthiness, 
with good kindly disposition, and heavy even wool. 
There can, indeed, be but little doubt that the Romney Marsh 
sheep is rapidly attaining a favourable and well-deserved recognition 
both at home and abroad. 
Arthur Finn. 
Westbroke, Lydd, Kent. 
BACTERIA, THEIR NATURE AND FUNCTION . 1 
A well-known English writer a short time ago informed the public 
that Professor von Pettenkofer, the distinguished veteran in 
sanitary science in Munich, expressed the opinion that “ the atmo- 
spheric envelope of this globe is at present in a bacillophil humour.’ 
Expressions such as these have been repeatedly used in one form or 
another, some more, some less witty ; the intention being, of course, 
to convey an exaggerated impression of the frame of mind of over- 
zealous enthusiasts. By such expressions more or less distinguished 
speakei’s and writers have been enabled to exhibit the smartness of 
their phraseology. Thus one distinguished professor relieved the 
anxiety of his students by the jocular observation that idleness and 
laziness will probably be found to be due to a specific bacillus, 
while another no less profound writer enunciated that crime and 
inebriety are probably due to bacilli. With regard to the distribu- 
tion of bacteria, as well as with regard to their action, we meet 
with statements which are almost made humorous by smartness of 
exaggeration. Under the cover of the title “Science Notes,” one 
of the London papers offered to its readers for breakfast the follow- 
ing palatable dish : — “ In a grain of butter you have 47,250,000 
’ The substance of a lecture delivered at the London Institution by 
E. Klein, M.D., F.R.S. 
B I) 2 
