zooLOOY. 843 



cold, water is to be added to bring the quantity up to 4 gal. One bushel of wheat is 

 tlien i^oaked for 4H hours in this solution and spread out in suital)le situations. 



Woodpeckers {California Bd. Ilort. Rpt. 1901-2, pp. 175-17S). — Popular notes 

 on the liabits of insects with special reference to their economic relations. 



The quest of rabbit extermination and the question of disease {Pastoralists' 

 Rer.,12 {190J), Nos. 6, pp. 39.5, 890; 7, pp. 474, 475).— A review is given of the exten- 

 sive investigations which were stimulated by the offer of |12o,000 made by the gov- 

 ernment of New South Wales in 1888 for a successful remedy in exterminating rab- 

 bits. While all of the nearly 1,500 plans which were propose<l were unsuccessful, 

 the author believes that better results may perhaps be obtained at present, and rec- 

 ommends that the Australian government offer a much larger reward for a satisfac- 

 tory method of exterminating rabbits. 



The plague of rats, T. Skschivan [Centbl. Bakt. n. Par., 1. Aht., 3S{190S), No. 4, 

 Orig., pp. 260-273). — Considerable interest attaches at present to the study of dis- 

 eases which affect rats on account of the agency of these animals in transmitting con- 

 tagious diseases, especially the bubonic plague. Three species of rats are influential 

 in carrying infectious diseases; these are Max drcumanus, M. raltuK, and M. fdrxan- 

 drrmi><. Notes are given on a number of diseases of rats resembling bubonic plague, 

 and the author presents the details of post-mortem findings in 15 rats apparently 

 dead of the plague. In order to secure a check upon the post-mortem examinations, 

 guinea pigs were inoculated with tlie material oljtained from these rats. 



A bacillus pathogenic for the house rat, C. Toyama [Centbl. Bait. u. Bar., 1. 

 Aht., 33 {1903), No. 4, Orig., pp. 273-281). — Detailed notes are given on the'post- 

 mortem findings in rats which had died of apparently an infectious disease. A 

 microscopic examination was made of material obtained from various organs of the 

 dead rats. A number of inoculation experiments were made in mice and rats with 

 material obtained from these cases and notes are given on the artificial infection thus 

 produced. Death resulted in the majority of cases between from 5 to 53 days, with 

 symptoms similar to those of spontaneous cases of the di.sease in rats. Notes are 

 given on the behavior of the bacillus on various culture media. No capsules or spores 

 could be detected, and the Imcillus is motile. It is believed to be closely related to 

 Bacillus typhi nrurivrn, l)ut is considered as a distinct species. 



Mouse and rat plague, E. Wiener {Ztsclir. Landw. Versuchsw. Oesterr., 5 {1902), 

 No. 9, pp. 1009-1035) . — The author presents a critical review of the various attempts 

 which have been made to discover and isolate a pathogenic organism which can be 

 used successfully in killing mice and rats. It is believed, as a result of the author's 

 investigations, that the various organisms which have been experimented with and 

 recommeniled for this purpose by different authors are all of the same species. A 

 numl)er of cultures which were received for testing rluring these experiments proved 

 to be nonvirulent. 



Infection with Trypanosoma, T. von Wasielewski ( Verhandl. V. Tnternat. Zool. 

 Cong. Berlin, 1901, }q>. 4~4-42S) . — A brief discussion is given of the means and effects 

 of infection by various species of Trypanosoma in animals, especially in frogs and rats. 



Twenty-fourth annual report of the South Australian Zoological and. 

 Acclimatization Society {lijif. Smitli An.straliav Zool. and Acclirn. Soc, 24 {1902), 

 pp. 45, ph. 4). — Notes are given on the wild animals which have been collected at 

 the Adelaide Zoological Garden and on the hygienic conditions which prevail among 

 these animals. Brief descriptions are given of Burchell's zebra, Barbary sheep, and 

 kangaroo, and a detailed list is presented of the various animals in the zoological 

 garden at the present time. 



Phytopathological observations with special regard to Vierlande near 

 Hamburg, with contributions to the fauna of Hamburg, L. Reh ((S'to. Pflanzen- 

 .sclntlz, Ihunhurg, 4 {1901-2), pp. 111-223, pi. 1). — Brief descriptive notes are given 

 of Vierlande, with an account of excursions made through that country. The author 



