ALBERT

Description: Detailed investigations on identification and classification of lucerne varieties and strains were conducted at Cambridge for four years, 1949–52, on lucerne sown in row plots and on twelve typical varieties planted out in replicated trials as single spaced plants, using 200 plants of each variety. A number of physiological and morphological characters were examined and the resulting data was analysed statistically.The characteristics used for classification are those which showed considerable variation between varieties, but at the same time these differences were maintained consistently from year to year. They proved to be unaffected by a different way of growing the plants or by small differences in soil fertility or season. The results are shown in Tables 1–17, and three basic classifications with distinguishing features of types and varieties are given. The correlations established between various characters on twelve varieties are given under the heading ‘Correlations’ at the end of the results.(a) The first classification into early, mid-season, late and extra-late types, based on the time of flowering, spring and autumn growth, gives a fair indication to the growers regarding earliness and productivity of various varieties.(b) The behaviour of certain varieties from South America, and in particular Saladina, an Argentine variety, which is vigorous and productive under native country conditions but has lost this ability under Cambridge conditions, indicates plainly that classification based on these three characters can be applied only to the country under whose conditions it was established. Therefore any variety especially obtained from a country of extremely different environmental conditions and management system should be checked in these respects even if a description is given.

Description: 1. A report is given of an experiment to investigate the extent of genotype-environment interaction in the growth rate and reproductive phenomena of certain strains of mice when kept in two food and two temperature environments. Evidence of interaction was found in both characters.2. The results are considered to be of sufficient interest to justify further work along these lines.This might either take the form of extensive studies involving many strains and environments chosen more or less at random, or in more limited investigations where the genotypes and environments are especially chosen because of marked differences.

Description: 1. It is possible for a breed of cattle to persist and to expand slowly, despite the existence of a genetic defect which prevents 50% of the calves born being used for breeding. Moreover, it is possible to exert a certain amount of selection in such a breed. The Dexter breed provides an example.2. Before 1924, about 64% of entrants to the breed were from inspected animals. Between 1924 and 1939 the breed contracted. From 1940 to 1947 the breed expanded.3. During the period of decline almost every Dexter-type female born was registered and raised. The wastage rate and age distribution of the cows are similar in Dexters to those of other breeds. There would appear to have been comparatively little breeding from Kerry types. The average registered reproductive rate of Dexter-type females was about 0·8.4. While it was not possible to examine the breed structure in the period of expansion, this was probably accomplished by lengthening the average productive life of the female, and possibly also by breeding from Kerry types.5. The possibility of exercising selection in Dexters is shown to exist. Only about 13% of the females registered are used for producing registered bulls. Of the total bull crop, only about 7% are used to produce registered females, but the bulls selected have different numbers of offspring. The use of bulls selected after progeny testing is hardly feasible in Dexters. The increased numbers of females necessary in order to produce an adequate number of heifers, renders this technique almost impossible.6. There has been little inbreeding in Dexters. This is possibly due to deliberate policy, as some of the breeders associate inbreeding with the production of monstrous calves.7. It would, therefore, appear that the damaging effect of a lethal in a breed could be overemphasized.

Description: Six Romney Marsh ewes exposed daily in a hot-room to temperatures averaging 105° F. dry bulb and 87° F. wet bulb for 2 months prior to the start of the breeding season all experienced oestrus and, as a group, at the same time of year as non-heated controls.However, when maintained under daily hot-room treatment throughout the pregnancy period only one ewe lambed, suggesting an adverse effect of high temperature on gestation.In a further experiment to confirm this, eight control ewes all lambed, average birth weight of lambs being 9 lb. 5 oz. Of six experimental ewes exposed to temperatures of 107° F. (dry bulb) and 92° F. (wet bulb) for 7 hr. daily during the last third of pregnancy, one failed to lamb and the lambs averaged 7 lb. 15 oz. A further six experimental ewes exposed to similar room conditions for the last two-thirds of pregnancy produced still smaller lambs, averaging 6 lb. 11 oz. at birth, and three ewes failed to lamb.The yield of lamb per ewe was 9 lb. 5 oz. for controls, 7 lb. 13 oz. and 4 lb. 1 oz. for ewes exposed to heat during the final third and two-thirds of pregnancy respectively and, in the previous year's experiment, 1 lb. 2 oz. for those exposed throughout the pre-mating, mating and post-mating period.It is concluded that although high temperature is apparently without effect on the incidence of oestrus in sheep, it is inimical to satisfactory gestation.

Description: 1. Histochemical tests have been applied to the socalled sweat glands and their secretions of Zebu and Ayrshire cattle, the former to only a limited extent.2. For skin specimens of Ayrshire cattle positive reactions were obtained for ribonucleoprotein, arginine and alkaline phosphatase. Negative reactions were obtained for desoxyribonucleoprotein and acid glycerophosphatase.3. Neither the sweat glands of Ayrshire cattle nor those of Zebu cattle gave positive reactions for fats, lipids or cholesterol and its esters, although these were all present in the sebaceous glands of both breeds. Detectable amounts of phospholipid were not found in the sweat glands of the Ayrshire cattle and their secretions.4. The chemical composition of the secretion of bovine sweat glands differs markedly from that of human eccrine or apocrine sweat glands in not containing detectable amounts of glycogen, lipids and associated compounds or iron.

Description: 1. Since the pigmentation of the skin cannot be assessed by visual examination of the hair or hide, a simple and convenient method of grading the cutaneous pigmentation of cattle based on the microscopic examination of skin sections has been described.2. The degree of cutaneous pigmentation of the skin of twenty body regions of three Ayrshire cows, two Ayrshire bull calves, two Sudanese Zebu bulls, one Sudanese Zebu cow and one Jamaican Zebu cow have been assessed by this method.3. The skin of the Zebu cattle was found to be much more heavily pigmented than that of the Ayrshire cattle.4. The dorsal and lateral regions of both the Zebu and the Ayrshire cattle were more pigmented than the ventral and leg regions.

Description: The new genus Idosocrinus is proposed for a remarkable type of crinoid occurring in the Thornton Burn section of the Calciferous Sandstone Series (Lower Carboniferous) of East Lothian, and two species are recognized. In general habitus the new genus resembles Phanocrinus Kirk, but differs in the character of the left and right posterior primibrachs, which extend outward from the cup in the form of strongly developed spines. Two new specimens of Anemetocrinus wilsoni Wright are also figured.

Description: The crinoids collected by Mr. Hugh Wilson from the shales and ironstones of the Calciferous Sandstone Series in the Thornton Burn section in East Lothian are of special interest and are described herein. The list of species is as follows:—Talanterocrinus redesdalensis sp. nov.Blothrocrinus thorntonensis sp. nov.Anemetocrinus wilsoni sp. nov.Phanocrinus ardrossensis (Wright).Ureocrinus bockschii (Geinitz).Ureocrinus doliolus (Wright).