Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-07-10


being made into the heredity of plants
and animals.
Although experimental evolution Is
one of the latest practical develop
ments of modern science, this Car
negie laboratory has chosen for the
scene of it's labors a locality that is
thoroughly primitive, being marked by
the absence of all those modern ''im-
provements" that usually characterize
the suburban village-if, indeed, Cold
Spring Harbor can be dignified by
that designation.
The laboratory buildings are erected
on a small fresh water pond empty
ing into the harbor beyond. Ten acres
of land are utilized by the institution
for its various experiments in botany
and animal life, as shown by e num-
Der of neat Enclosures containing de-
mure-looking poultry, digni1ed goats
of a somewhat questionable parentage,
judging by their outward appearance;
cattle, sheep, a greenhouse, and a
'vivarium" for the accommodation Of
insects. Adjoining the land belonging
to the laboratory the Brooklyn lnsti-
tute Of Arts and Sciences has a build
ing, to which it it at present making
considerable additions, devoted to bio
logical studies, while across across the
way is the New York State Fish
Hatchery, where millions of trout,
shad, bass, smelt and cod are turned
out yearly for the benefit of the lakes
and streams throughout the state.
C. B. Davenport, who has been as
sociate professor of zoology at the
University of Chicago for the past four
years, is at the head of both biological
laboratories at Cold Spring Harbor.
In his report of the first years work
Prof. Davenport states that the insti-
tutions first efforts have been directed
to studies of heredity, which, he de-
clares. in spite of their Importance
for evolution, have been relatively
neglected. To deal with this subject
the laboratory has planned work,
which it will undertake in coopera-
ton with others, on all the main
groups of animals and plants.
Following this programme, two and
a half acres of laboratory land have
been devoted to the rearing of 'pedi-
greed plants" whose welfare has been
watched by Drs. Britton and Mac
Dougal, of the New York Botanical
Garden, as well as by the botanist Of
the laboratory. Dr. Shull Eighty-one
different species of plants were chosen
and kept under careful observation.
several showing notable variations
What the laboratory is doing with
plants 1t is doing also with insects.
In fact. Cold Spring Harbor just now
might be called an insect paradise,
and applications for entrance to the
laboratory from those minute denizens
of the forest should be numerous.
Besides special experiments that are
being made at the laboratory with fish
and snails, the principal investigations
have been confined so far to domesti-
Gated animals-fowl, duck. pigeons,
canary birds, gOldfnch, goats, sheep.
cattle and the plain. everyday harm
less. necessary cat"
| Inc tWO 6OAIS COhheCleu Win the
laboratory are Irish, and are decorated
with certain peculiar "wattles" on the
neck. The interest attached to these
wattles. according to Prof Davenport,
depends on the fact that the are typ
zeal abnormalities and subserye no
function They have been repeatedly
observed in man. Now, the question
is, with these two Irish goats at the
laboratory, How will the wattles ap-
pear in their descendants? The in
teresting pair have had four offsprinl
since their arrival at the laboratory
The same kind of experiment is be
ing conducted with the FIVE sheep a
the laboratory and with pair OF Jer
sey and Holstein cattle, from which
Prof. Davenport hopes to improve thu
quality Of the Holstein milk. Thu
I'VE cats with which the laboratorl
started have already had Is kittens