The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-08-26

The ability with which the Prof
Agassiz argued that the egg is the
origin of all animal life, and the won
derful array of facts and collateral
evidence which be marshaled to the
support Of his favorite theory, will
long constitute a notable chapter in
modern scientific history.
Passing, however, from this incl
dental reference to a discussion so
reconcile and controversial, as not
within the scope or intention of this
article, the interesting and, we be-
Iieve, un~challenged assertion of DR..
Liebig, that the eggs of birds furnish
the most complete nutriment with
which to sustain life has q practical
bearing Of more Importance to the
wants and welfare of men than any
scholastic hypothesis, however pro-
found and ingenius. The reason why
the egg presents such remarkable
alimentary a~daptedness is easily IN
derstood. The yolk and white con-
sist chiefly of albuminous matters
the woke Of casein and albumen,
the white of soluble albumen, con-
tanning more sulphurthan the am
bipuous compound of the blood-and
of an albuminous body containing a
large quantity of sulphur scantly
sol1able and forming celles in the
shane of small membranes, which in
Glide the soluble albumen. The
white of an egg contains more water
than the yolk;somewhat more than
one-half of the latter and some four
6nbs of the former, consisting of wa
ter. The yolk is also, in a nearly
similar proportion, richer than the
white in fat and albuminous substan-
ees: and the yellow oil of the yolk
contains a large quantity of o%leine,
with a little margine, less p~hospho-
rous tat, and still less gall fat. For
the egg to represent really complete
nutriment there is nothing more need
ed. in addition to the properties or
elements above named, but the salts
and chlorine compound of the blood,
and all these are found in the inor-
ganic constituents both oftbe white
and yolk.
A curious point of inquiry among
biologists has been, for a long time,
how many eggs there are in the
ovary of a hen. To determine this a
German naturalist q short time since
instituted some careful Investigations,
the result of which showed the ovary
of a hen to contain about six hundred
eggs. He also fonud hat some
twenty of these are matured the first
wear. about one hundred and
twenty during the second year, one
bundled and thirty-6vc during the
third, one hundred and fourteen
during the fourth and during the fifth
sixth seventh and eighth, years the
number decreases Ivy twenty annual
ly; it consequently follows that after
the fourth, or at most the fifth year
hens are no longer profitable as lay
ers, unless it may be in exceutiona.
instances.
Some interesting experiments were
also made a short time since in Ger
many to determine the comparative
fecundity of ducks and hens-that i:
from which of the two the larger
number of eggs can be obtained il
the same time. For this purpose
three hens and three ducks were Sc
lected, all Matched in February and all
aourished with suitable food. Ii
the following autumn the ducks
laid 225 eggs, while the hens lai(
none. In the next February the lay
ing season began again with the
ducks and continued uninterruptedly
until August. They showed no in.
clination to set, but became very
thin, although they afterward fatten.
ed up somewhat. The total number
of eggs laid by the hens amounted tC
257, or eighty six eggs each, and 362
or 131 each for the ducks. Although
the eggs of the ducks were rather
smaller than those of the hens, yei
they proved to be decidedly superior
in nutritive material, so that the supe
riority in productiveness was decided
Nv with the ducks.
In regrrd to the means of POSSIBLE
ty of deciding the sex of eggs much
difference of opinion exists. But NJ
Genin, in a communication to thC
French academy of ciences on thil
subject, states that be is now able
after having investigated the matter
carefully for several years to STATE
with assurance that all eggs contain
ing the germ of males have wrinkles
on their smaller ends, while female
eggs are smooth at the extremities.