Skip to content

Please be aware that some material may contain words, descriptions or illustrations which will not reflect current scientific understanding and may be considered in today's context inaccurate, unethical, offensive or distressing.

The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Unpublished paper, 'Some observations on the ova of the Salmonidae' by John Davy

Reference number: AP/33/9

Date: 18 November 1851

Description

Davy shares observations on his experiments made on the ova of the Charr (Salmo umbla). After giving a description of the mature eggs of this fish, he details the trials instituted by him: firstly, on the action of water, showing its coagulating effect, except when added in very minute quantity; secondly, on the action of heat; thirdly, on the action of alkalies and salts; fourthly, on the action of acids and some other agents. Davy concludes that the vitellus of the Charr and of the eggs of the other Salmonidae is distinct in its properties, both from the albumen and yolk of the eggs of birds.

Subject: Zoology / Ichthyology

Received 20 November 1851. Read 5 February 1851.

Written by Davy at Lesketh How, Ambleside [Cumbria, England].

Whilst the Royal Society declined to publish this paper in full, an abstract of the paper was published in volume 6 of Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London [later Proceedings of the Royal Society] as 'Some observations on the ova of the salmonidae'.

Reference number
AP/33/9
Earliest possible date
18 November 1851
Physical description
Ink on paper
Page extent
10 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

John Davy

View page for John Davy

Use this record

IIIF manifest

View​ IIIF ​ manifest Opens in new tab

Open in Mirador viewer Opens in new tab

Export this record

Download PDF Opens in new tab

Citation

John Davy, Unpublished paper, 'Some observations on the ova of the Salmonidae' by John Davy, 18 November 1851, AP/33/9, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_33_9/unpublished-paper-some-observations-on-the-ova-of-the-salmonidae-by-john-davy, accessed on 09 December 2025

Link to this record

https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/ap_33_9/unpublished-paper-some-observations-on-the-ova-of-the-salmonidae-by-john-davy

Embed this record

<iframe src="https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/embed/items/ap_33_9/unpublished-paper-some-observations-on-the-ova-of-the-salmonidae-by-john-davy" title="Unpublished paper, 'Some observations on the ova of the Salmonidae' by John Davy" allow="fullscreen" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="500px"></iframe>

Related Publications

Related Records

Hierarchy

This item is part of:

Related Fellows

Explore the collection

  • Archived Papers

    The 'Archived Papers' collection is comprised of original manuscript scientific papers and letters submitted to the Royal Society which remained unpublished or were abstracted in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society' published from 1830 onwards.

    Dates: 1768 - 1989

    View collection