ABSTRACTS
329
Besides the 17 ante and 31 post-mortem items and the thoracic measurements,
13 supplementary values were calculated from the two main sets of data. Several obser-
vations were also made and recorded.
Of 19 measured and calculated items, 17 of which were largely skeletal measurements,
of the ante mortem data the arithmetic mean and median were almost identical, showing
representative sampling. Thickness of hide and live weight had the highest co-efficients
of variation with length of loin next ; the smallest co-efficients of this group were height
at withers, depth of chest and length from withers to pin bones respectively. Measure-
ments affected by the condition of the animal showed the greatest variations ; those in
connexion with body height and length showed the least.
In 22 post-mortem items again the arithmetic mean and median were nearly identical.
The weights of the pancreas, abdominal fat and thoracic fat gave the highest correlation
co-efficients ; the depth length and width measurements of the thoracic cavity the lowest.
Correlation co-efficients for groups of organs were of the following order : viceral-fats,
digestion system and nervous system, with the highest named first.
Weights of live animal, heart and lungs and length of intestines were used in correla-
tion studies, over 40 correlations being made. The highest with heart weight were :
circumference of heart ( + 0.538±0.031), live weight ( + 0.509 ± 0.031) and body-sur-
face area (+ 0.503 ± 0.031); the lowest with wedge shape : width ratio (+ 0.022 ± 0.042).
The three named can be considered high and 27 others, which were 0.300 or above, but
less than 0.500, can be considered moderate or better than moderate.
In the case,
of weight of lungs the highest correlation co-efficient was with volume of barrel
( + 0.444±0.035) ; 22 others were 0.300 or above. These were, as a whole, lower than
the co-efficients with heart weight. Those with length of intestines were even lower,
the highest being with weight of empty intestines ( + 0.387 ± 0.035). Only five others
in this case were moderately significant, that is above 0.300 ; the lowest being with rear
chest index (+0.004±0.039). In the case of correlation co-efficients with live weight
only 12 out of 44 were below 0.300.
The highest was body surface area ( + 0.939
±0.004) followed by volume of barrel ( + 0.838 ± 0.011) and then circumference of
fore chest ( + 0.821 ± 0.012). The lowest in this group was weight of brain ( + 0.066
±0.038). The high correlation co-efficient of live weight with body surface area
would be expected since the former has been used in calculating the body surface area
for several years.
After grouping the ante mortem items into eight groups and the post-mortem
items into five, the correlation co-efficients of each group with the weights of live animal,
heart and lungs and length of intestine were determined. The high ones in each case were
as follows : live weight 0.509, body lengths 0.430, body size group 0.287 and calculated
body-bulk values 0.801 with heart weight, lung weight, intestine length and live weight
respectively; the highest for all groups combined was 0.502 with live weight followed
by 0.335 with heart weight.
In comparing the same groups of ante and post-mortem items with depth of
chest and width of chest the highest correlation co-efficients were found in each
case to be with body circumference (at fore chest only), i.e. ( + 0.796 ± 0.013) and
(+0.659 ± 0.020) respectively. However, with all groups combined the co-efficients
became + 0.587 and + 0.322 for depth and width of chest respectively.
Animals which could be identified as to breed were considered under three heads,
viz. Holstein, Shorthorn and Ayrshire-Guernsey-Jersey. Correlation co-efficients
of weight of heart and weight of lungs with depth of fore chest and width of fore chest
were determined in each case. The higher co-efficient in all cases was with weight
of heart, except width of fore chest for the Shorthorn breed when it was higher with weight
of lungs. The data were very similar whether based on all or separate breeds. [J. N. W.]
Carotene balance and blood-carotene levels in heifers and lactating cows,
and their relation to the production of off-flavor milk. C. H. WHITNAH,
W. J. PETERSON, F. W. ATKESON and H. W. CANE (1939). Jour. Agric. Res.
58, (5) 343-355.
I N a previous study four cows were found (1) to excrete more carotene in the faeces
than they ingested and (2) to respond quickly with improved flavour of the milk when
a carotene concentrate was added to the ration. The present study , therefore, is