Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-19
White BIooded Fishes
Proved to Be Reality
Sol Called 1ce-Fishes'
Found in Anturtic
By Thomas r. Henry
Antarctic dishes have white BLOOD.

The reality Of the so-called "ice
fishes" described by explorers has just
been confirmed by Prof. Johan T. Ruud
of the University of Oslo from speci-
mems brought back by the last British
Norwegian expedition to Queen Maud
Land. These creatures are, he says,
probably the only vertebrates complete
~ lacking In the Oxygen-carTying red
pigment haemoglobin which supposedly
is essential to life.
The white blood phenomenon pre-
sumably Is confined to two species Of
the fish whose scientific name Is chae-
nocephaluS. 1t is confined to Antarctic
waters and almost never appears north
of the circle. In open water Of the far
south. however, it Is quite abundant.
The blood, says Prof. Ruud, is nearly
transparent. It sometimes has slight
yellowish tinge. Without an anti-coagu-
liant it clots in two to three minutes.
There are no red cells. White cells con-
stitute about one per cent Of its volume.
It has about the same oxygen absorbing
capacity as human blood plasma:
Chemical analysis shows only micro
scopic traces Of iron.
These fishes are fairly large-the
biggest almost two feet long and weigh
ing about three pounds. Apparently it
is able to exist only by the absorption
of oxygen from the water by all the
vital organs. It could only exist. the
Norwegian biologist believes, in very
cold water with high oxygen content.
+
Fighting Insect Pests
Department ot>Agriculture specialists
are hunting for deadly new epidemics
for bugs.
Biological warfare is the latest phase
Of mans amending struggle with his
deadliest enemy--the insect-by whom,
it has been said, he is certain eyentu-
ally to be overwhelmed.
Under test for the first time this
summer Is q virus disease deadly to
the Army worm, now unusually prev
alent, the passage Of whose hordeS
through a field at night sounds like
the blowing of strong wind. Once
a few Army worms are infected, the
entomologists say, the disease appar-
emily spreads naturally.
Perhaps of even greater Importance
Is q fungus disease which is fatal to
variety of destructive insects. This
bug malady first was noted in Russia
in 1879 but has been studied little
since then. Preliminary laboratory
tests at the Department of Agriculture's
Beltsville (Md.) experiment station
show that it may be deadly to the
grubs of japanese beetles. larvae but
not adults of honey bees, wax moths
and adults of the Mexican bean beetle.
Most important Of all--there are in
dications that the common house fly.
itself notorious disease carrier. is
quite susceptible. Mixing the fungus
with chalk powder and spraying it on
adult flies resulted In their death In
from four to six days.
Already this biological warfare has
had one notable triumph. Milky dis
ease of Japanese beetles, developed by
department specialists, has been sprayed
over millions of acres and has prac-
/! tically stopped the ravages Of these
garden pests in the EaSt.7e aof
A virus spray. developed in Canada
three years ago, now promises to end
ravages Of the pine sawfly. Applica-
tions In New Jersey and Illinois have
given excellent results.