The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-03
About Eggs Curious Facts nnd Ex

pcrfments.
The ability with which the late Professor r
Apassiz argued that the egg IS the origin OF
ali animal life, and the wonderful array OF
facts and collateral evidence which he mar
sballed to the support Of his favorlte theory,
will long constitute notable chapter ID
modern scientific history.
Passing, however, from this incidental
reference to q discussion so recondlte anu
controversial, as not within the scope or ~
tention of this article, the interesting, ana.
we believe, unchallcnged assertion OIL DT.
Liebig. that the eggs of birds furnish the
most complete nutrimcnt with which 10 sus-
tain life, has practical bearing of more I'M
portance TO the wants and welfare OF men
Than any scholastic hypothesis, however pro-
found and Ingenious. The reason why the
epr presents such remarkable allmentary
adartedness is easily understood. Inc
yolk and white consists chle1y OF
albumnous mattcrs-the yolk OF ca.
sem and albumen, the Whlte OF
soluble aIbumen, containing more sulphur
than the ambiguous compound OF the blooo
and of an aIbumiuous body containing
large quantity Of sulphur scantl'y SOLUBLE.
and forming cellues in the shape or smali
membranes, which include the soluble albu-
men. The white of egg contains more water
than the yok; somewhat more than one-hait
of the latter, and some tour-hiths OF the
former, consisting OF water. Inc yoik IS
also, in nearly similar proportion, richer
than the white in fat and abuminous sub
stances; and The yellow oil OF the yolk con-
tains 4 large quantity of oeine, with little
margine, less phosphorus fat, and still less
gall fat. For the egg tor represent really
is
needed, in addition to the properties or ele-
ments above named, but the salts and chic
rine compounds OF the blood, and all these
are found in the inorganic constituents both
of the white and yolk.
A curious point of inquiry among zc0lo-
eisls has been, for long time, how many
eggs there are in the ovary Of a hen. TO de.
termine this, a German naturalist, short
time since, instituted some careful investiga-
,ions, the result of which showed the ovary
TO hen to contain about six hundred eggs.
He also found that some twenty of these are
matured the first year, about 120 during the
second year. 1856 during the third, L Ia during
the fourth, aud during the fifth, sixth, sew
enth and eighth years the number decreases
by twenty annually, it consequently follow
ing that after the fourth, or at most the fifth
year, hens are no longer profitable as layers,
unless it may be in exceptional instances.
Some interesting experiments were also
| made short time since in Germany, to de.
termne the comparative fecundty of ducks
and hens-that is, from which of the two
the larger number of eggs can be obtained in
| the same time. For this purpose three hens
and three ducks were scected-al hatched
in February and nourished with suitable
food. In the following autumn the ducks
laid 90 eggs, while the hens laid none. In
| the next February the laying season began
| again with the ducks, and continued unin-
! terruptedly till August. They showed no
| inclination to set, but became very thin, al
though they altcrward tattened up some
| what. The total number OF eggs laid by the
hens amounted to 25I, or eighty.slx eggs
each; and 392, or 13l each, for the ducks.
Although the eggs Of the ducks were rather
smaller than those Of the hens, yet they
| proved to be decidedly superior in nutritive
! material, 50 that the superiority in produc-
| tiveness was decidedly with the ducks.
In regard to the means or possibility Of
deciding the SEX Of eggs. much difference of
opinion exists. But NJ. Genin, in COM
municalion tc the French Academy OF
Sciences on this subject, states that he is
now able, after having investigated the
matter carefully for several years, to state
with assurance that all eggs containing the
germ of males have wrinkles on their smaller
ends, while female eggs are smooth at the
eXtremileS.