to bring the lambs forward to an early market, which, in the sale of fat lambs, is of infinitely greater importance than in the sale of any other stock whatsoever.

For sheep also, which are suspected of being tainted with the rot, sugar would be very useful. It is not improbable that substances might be mixed with it which, if they did not cure, might at least arrest the progress of the disorder. But admitting that they had no such beneficial effects, sugar would contribute so greatly to the sheep's expeditious fattening as to make them in many cases ready for the butcher before the disease could have time to make a destructive progress, or its ravages interrupt the sheep's propensity to get fat under such a forcing regimen.

It may seem scarcely necessary to notice, that the benefit to be expected from the fattening sheep with sugar is not confined merely to the profit upon the sheep themselves; the land on which they are fattened will be benefited in proportion to the increase of stock which may thus be kept upon it, and the superior richness of the manure which such stock so maintained will produce.

Should the foregoing experiments be considered as not absolutely decisive, yet their results, it is presumed, will be found of some importance; by any one, who will be at the trouble of minutely examining the tables, and comparing together the progress of improvement of any one individual sheep with another, it will be seen how difficult it is to draw conclusions which shall do more than barely approximate to the truth. It is to be observed, what indeed is well known to the physiologist, or any one who is conversant with the nature of living animals, that though there are certain general laws by

which the animal economy is sustained and governed, yet that every individual animal has a peculiarity of constitution, an idiocrasy as it is called, receiving its modification from causes which in most cases baffle our research, and which, in consequence of such modification, is subject to great irregularities. Hence arises that disparity of effects from the application of apparently the same causes. Were this not to be the case, the same quantity of food, with the same treatment, would invariably produce the same increase of flesh in one animal as in another.

But though the disparity is apparent in a solitary comparison of one individual with another, it in a great measure disappears when numbers are taken collectively. When, therefore, we find that the average of these solitary comparisons preponderates to establish any particular fact, we may be certain that the conclusions we draw from it are, in most cases, not far from the truth. On this ground, therefore, it is presumed that the following conclusions, drawn from the facts which I have now the honour to lay before the Board, may be justified.

First. That sugar may be given with great advantage to sheep, if not confined; especially if they have access to green food, however little that green food

quantity.

may be in

Secondly. That sugar may be given to them with every prospect of a beneficial effect, in the quantity of four ounces per day to each sheep.

Thirdly. That sugar, supposing it to be purchased at four pence per pound, (which it might be if duty free,) would, at the rate of four ounces per day, be paid for in a return of flesh, exclusive of the advantage of expeditious

tious feeding, and the benefit to be derived from the

manure.

Fourthly. That six ounces per day to each sheep exceeds the maximum that can be given with the best advantage (this, it is obvious, applies to the middle-sized sheep only, such as those on which I tried the experiment. It is probable that six ounces might not be too much for some of the larger breed of sheep, as four ounces might be greatly too much for some of the dimunitive breeds).

Fifthly. That the advantage of stall-feeding sheep altogether upon sugar and dry food, of whatever nature that food may be, is extremely problematical."

Thus have I candidly laid before the Board the result of a long series of experiments which, it will be perceived, have been prosecuted with unremitted attention. and, in consequence of my being particularly circumstanced, at no inconsiderable expense and trouble for the space of four months and upwards.

Should any gentleman be disposed to repeat these experiments, having within himself * all the requisite conveniences for such an undertaking, I cannot but persuade myself, though he will certainly attain his object more cheaply and readily than I have done, that his conclusions will confirm the general accuracy of mine.

* It requires no great foresight to predict that there will be great disagreements in the reports which may be made of experiments with unadulterated sugar in feeding cattle. The temptation of appropriating the sugar in a greater or less degree to his own use is so great, as to put the honesty of the person who is to administer it to a severe trial. It is but justice to say of the servant whom I employed in this business, that I have the fullest confidence of my directions, in all those instances in which I could not see to their execu tion myself, being attended to with the most scrupulous fidelity. Observations

Observations upon Luminous Animals.

By J. MACARTNEY, Esq.

(Concluded from Page 311.)

THE circumstance of there being points, which give a more permanent light than the other parts of the luminous rings of the abdomen, has been noticed before by the Comte G. de Razoumouski. He states the number of these luminous points to vary from 2 to 5 *.

I must however remark, that I never saw more than two of these luminous points, which were always upon the last ring of the body, and that the figures which accompany the memoir of the Comte de Razoumouski, bear scarcely any resemblance to the insect they are intended to represent, from which we may fairly suspect him of inaccuracy in other particulars.

As far as my observation has extended, the small sacs of luminous substances are not found in any species of lampyris, except the glow worm of this country. Thunburg mentions that the lampyris japonica has two vesicles on the tail, which afford light.

"

The organs for the production of light in the genus elater, are situated in the corcelet; these likewise consist of a peculiar yellow substance, placed behind transparent parts of the shell, which suffer the natural colour of this substance to be seen through them in the day, and when illuminated, give passage to the light.

On dissecting the organs of light in the elater noctilucus, I found that there is a soft yellow substance, of an oval figure, lodged in the concavity of the yellow

* Mem. de la Soc. de Lausanne, Tom. ii.

spots

spots of the corcelet, which parts are particularly thin and transparent in this species. This substance is so remarkably close in its structure, that at first view it appears like an inorganic mass, but with a lens, it is readily perceived to be composed of a great number of very minute parts or globules closely pressed together. Around these oval masses, the interstitial substance of the corcelet is arranged in a radiated manner, and the portion of the shell that immediately covers the irradiated substance, is in a certain degree transparent, but less so than that which lies over the oval masses, it is therefore probable, that the interstitial substance in this situation, may be endowed with the property of shining. A fasciculous of the muscles of the corcelet arises in the interior of the oval masses of the luminous substance, but not apparently with any design, as it contributes, with the adjacent fasciculi, to move the anterior feet.

In the elater ignitus, the masses of luminous substance are extremely irregular in their figure: they are situated nearly at the posterior angles of the corcelet, and are more loose in their texture than the oval masses of the noctilucus, resembling rather in composition, the interstitial substance which surrounds these masses in that species. The shell of the corcelet is somewhat thinner, and more transparent along both sides of the margin, than at other places, but it is not,' as in the noctilucus, elevated, and peculiarly clear and thin immediately over the seat of the luminous organ; consequently, the light emitted by the elater ignitus, cannot be very brilliant.

I have not been able to procure any specimen of the elater phosphorea, but from the accounts of naturalists, it appears to resemble in every respect the elater nocti

lucus;