THE GUT FLORA OF THE CHICK. II. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FLORA

SUMMARY: Viable counts were made in three media of material from the crop, gizzard, duodenum, ileum and caeca of chicks. Groups of birds 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 30 days old were studied. The results showed that a balanced gut flora is established one day after feeding. An indication of the actual development of the flora was obtained in chicks 4 hr after feeding. The relationship between the flora at different ages and that in newly-hatched chicks before feeding is discussed.     

MACROCYSTS IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE DICTYOSTELIACEAE. I. FORMATION OF THE MACROCYSTS

Macrocysts, a morphogenetic phase that is alternative to sorocarp formation in the life cycle of some cellular slime molds, are known for two genera and five species of the Dictyosteliaceae. In all of these macrocyst formation was found to be strongly affected by four factors: light, temperature, moisture, and the composition of the medium. In general, macrocyst formation was suppressed and sorocarp formation was enhanced by exposure to light, by incubation at temperatures lower than 20 C, by buffering nutrient media with phosphates, and by reducing atmospheric moisture through the use of clay covers on Petri dishes. The extent to which these environmental factors, singly or in combination, inhibited the production of macrocysts varied among the different strains and species.     

JOURNAL OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON.

Præcursores ad Floram Indicam : being Sketches of the Natural Families of Indian Plants, with Remarks on their Distribution, Structure, and Affinities     

THE GUT FLORA OF THE CHICK. I. THE FLORA OF NEWLY HATCHED CHICKS

SUMMARY: The presence of a caecal microflora has been demonstrated in newly hatched chicks that had not received food or water. The flora was composed mainly of clostridia, sometimes with Escherichia coli .     

THE POTENTIAL AND RESPIRATION OF FROG SKIN : I. THE EFFECT OF THE HOMOLOGOUS CARBAMATES. II. THE EFFECT OF CERTAIN LYSINS

Measurements of the O₂ consumption and of the potential of frog skin, made under comparable conditions, show that the homologous carbamates (ethyl, propyl, butyl, and amyl) reduce both the O₂ consumption and the potential, but not in a similar manner. In this respect, the effect of the carbamates is like the effect of reduction in O₂ tension. The simple lysins (saponin and the bile salts), on the other hand, abolish the potential without reducing the O₂ consumption at all. Irrespective of whether one considers the concentration of carbamate in the entire system or the amount of carbamate adsorbed by the frog skin, Traube''s rule relating the effect of a carbamate to its position in the homologous series does not seem to apply.     

THE CONTROL OF DISEASES OF LETTUCE BY THE USE OF ANTAGONISTIC ORGANISMS II. THE CONTROL OF RHIZOCTONIA SOLANI KUHN.

The antagonism of a number of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in pure culture on soil extract agar has been investigated. A considerable number of each of the three groups were highly antagonistic at 25° C., fewer were active at 15° C. and only a very limited number were effective at 5° C.
In greenhouse experiments damping-off of lettuce seedlings was substantially controlled by selected antagonists in sterile sand, soil or in sand/soil mixtures. Under similar conditions in unsterile soil, forms highly antagonistic in pure culture were generally ineffective in controlling disease. In one experiment control of disease in natural soil was obtained by the use of soil amendments, the effect being enhanced by the inoculation of one of these amendments with suspensions of antagonists.
Attempts to control disease in the field by the use of soil amendments are described. In one year a substantial increase in the stand of healthy seedlings was obtained with certain treatments.     

天山北麓历史时期的环境演变信息

近 2 0 0 0年以来 ,天山北麓的气候有冷暖干湿波动 ,但总体干旱的基本面貌未发生根本变化。植被在森林的上下界限、平原河谷林的发育程度、平原低地草甸的面积上 ,随气候的变化而发生波动。山地生态系统比较稳定 ,平原生态系统相对不稳定。尤其是平原河流和湖泊抗干扰性极差 ,容易发生改变 ,同时也引起局地小气候及生物群的变化。由于气候变化和人类活动的影响 ,平原地区的水系变化很大 ,河流流量减少、流程缩短、尾闾湖消失、地下水位降低、扇缘溢出带北移等成为普遍现象。天山北麓是自然绿洲发育比较好的地带 ,由于人类活动的影响 ,自然绿洲大多为人工绿洲取代 ,自然绿洲功能弱化 ,基本失去了改善荒漠环境、生物栖息地、保护荒漠区生物多样性等多种生态功能。该区新石器时代以来就有人为活动 ,早期以狩猎、牧业活动为主 ;中期以牧业为主 ,农业为辅 ;后期以农业为主 ,牧业为辅 ,人类对环境的影响有相当长的时间。清朝以来 ,尤其是解放后 ,人类对环境的影响作用急剧加强 ,成为近代环境变化的主导因素 ,主要表现在对水的控制而产生的一系列水系、植被、沙漠变化     

THE TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HEAD-SCRATCHING METHODS OF BIRDS.

Birds scratch their heads in one only of two ways, either directly or indirectly, and one method is used by all members of the same family though not necessarily by all families in the same order. When related families have different head-scratching methods, then the behaviour can help in disentangling difficult relationships. Examples are given. In the case of the passerines, only the Timaliidae (babblers) scratch directly. The implications are briefly discussed; for example, on this evidence Picathartes is not a babbler. The Psittaciformes are a potentially rewarding group for future work.