NATL 'RES TL T D i ' A A D SCJE. \ ~CE . \ 'O TES 3 I 7 



dog-pound 6,000 vagrant dogs are taken up annually, and not one case of 

 hydrophobia has occurred there during the past 25 vears. A well known 

 specialist, Dr. E. C. Spitzka, of New York, is quoted as saying that much 

 of the observation of suspicious dogs is made through optics disturbed by 

 fear. Prominent professors in various medical colleges in Philadelphia, New 

 York, etc., express the opinion that communities are often unduly alarmed 

 over the supposed danger of dog bite. 



Immunity against tuberculosis. In a recent number of the Central 

 blatt fur Bakteriologie Dr. S. Metalnikoff discusses a possible means of 

 acquiring immunitv from consumption. In experiments he found that the 

 caterpillar of the bee-moth is immune against the forms of tuberculosis found 

 in man, cattle and birds. The caterpillar possesses a special kind of ferment 

 which by experiment was found to be the active principle in resisting tuber- 

 culosis. A preparation was made from the blood of the caterpillar, and 

 tuberculosis guinea pigs were treated with quite satisfactory results. [Review 

 of Reviews, 34: 240-241, Aug. 1906,] E. A. 



Chipmunks Climbing Trees. Concerning this there seems to be 

 decided difference of opinion, if one may judge from manv letters recenfh 

 published in a Ne v York newspaper and quoted in Shield 1 's Magazine for 

 October. There is also considerable variation in answer to the question- 

 whether chipmunks chatter and whether thev leap from tree to tree. It is 

 also clear that manv people do not distinguish between red squirrels and 

 chipmunks. 



Prickly Pear for Cattle. Bulletin 9 1 of the Bureau of Animal Indus- 

 trv deals with experiments in feeding prickly pear cactus to cattle in Texas. 

 Cattle readily eat. the cactus which has been singed with a gasoline torch. 

 Machinery for chopping and crushing is now in use on some ranches. 



Fur Supply. It is commonly believed that the fur-bearing animals are 

 rapidlv being exterminated, especially in Northern Canada where for two 

 hundred years the fur trade has been active. According to a recent consular 

 report, the supply is still far from exhaustion. The Hudson Bav Co., 

 which no longer monopolizes the fur trade, reports a great decrease in beaver, 

 sea-otter, raccoon and silver fox as compared with fortv vears ago. The 

 buffalo (bison) skin has completely disappeared from the marker. There 

 has been a great increase in number of skins of bear, ermine, red fox, martin, 

 Ivnx, muskrat, rabbit, skunk. The number collected annuallv is influenced 

 bv the demand, but with the exception of the animals which have tor years 

 been rare, the latest reports indicate that such animals as badger, bear, 

 ermine, red fox, white fox, martin, mink, muskrat, rabbit and skunk are 

 still plentiful. Hunters report that there are still vast unexplored regions 



