AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 307 



disease affected a large number of ducks and was fatal in about 25 per cent of cases. 

 One of the more characteristic symptoms of the disease was an intense conjunctivitis 

 with the formation of a purulent discharge. An organism was isolated from the 

 material obtained from the eyes of affected ducks and it was found to resemble 

 closely the diphtheria bacillus. Notes are given on the growth of this organism on 

 various nutrient media. Inoculation experiments with white mice and other experi- 

 mental animals were without positive results. 



The chicken mite, J. J. Repp {loiva Sta. Bid. 69, pp. 285-294, figs^- 2). — Der- 

 maiD/ssus galUiuc is said to be one of the most formidable enemies of chickens in Iowa. 

 Sitting hens often die on the nest from excessive infestation with this mite, and a 

 mortality as high as 90 per cent is reported in young chicks. The mite is described 

 in its various stages. The author tried experiments in ridding henhouses by means 

 of fire applied with a torch. The attempt, however, was unsuccessful, since it is 

 impossible to apply sufficient heat to kill the mites without running the risk of 

 setting the henhouse on fire. The best results were obtained from spraying with 

 kerosene emulsion diluted with 10 volumes soft water. Three applications should 

 be made in succession on the same day. After 2 or 3 days, w'hen the eggs have 

 hatched, another crop of mites will appear and the spraying should be repeated. 

 The extermination of the mites may be hastened by dusting the fowls with pyrethrum 

 powder while the spraying experiments are going on. Incidentally it was observed 

 that all of the eggs of the chicken mite which are moistened by the kerosene emulsion 

 are killed by this insecticide. 



The fowl tick, C. P. Lounsbury (Agr. Jour. Cape Good Hope, 23 {1903), No. 3, pp. 

 261-273, pis. 3). — The fowl tick of South Africa is Argas persicm. The author 

 worked out anew the details of the life history of this pest and describes the tick in 

 its various stages. All stages of the tick were found to be capable of living many 

 weeks without food or drink. The tick infests chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, 

 and is believed to cause more serious depredations than has been supposed. The 

 remedies recommended for controlling the tick include destruction by insecticides 

 applied to infested birds, insecticide methods applied to roosts and to poultry houses, 

 and isolation of roosts and nests by means of special methods of construction or by 

 the use of repellants. 



Index-catalogue of medical and veterinary zoolog'y, C. W. Stiles and 

 A. Hassall ( r. ;S'. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Anbual Industry Bid. 39, pts. 3, pp. 199-324; 

 4, pp. 325-403 ; 5, pp. 404-435). — An alphabetical list of authors whose names begin 

 with the letters C, D, and E. 



Bibliotheca veterinaria, R. Klee {Leipzig: Hermann Seemann Nachfolger, 1901, 

 pp. 247). — In this volume the author has made an attempt to present a list of veter- 

 inary works produced in Germany, either in a book form or in periodicals, up to the 

 present time. The list is arranged alphabetically according to authors, and the 

 volume is provided with an alphabetical list of important catchwords with references 

 to the main text of the book. 



AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING. 



Some engineering features of drainage, C. G. Elliott {U. S. Dept. Agr. Year- 

 book, 1902, pp. 231-244, p^- i,.figs- 2). — A discussion of some general features of drainage 

 illustrated by plans made by the author for the drainage of lands near Greeley, Colo., 

 swamped by excessive irrigation. "Sufficient work has been done in Colorado to 

 demonstrate that judicious drainage will reclaim lands already saturated; that it will 

 prevent the rise of alkali, and that land which has become water-logged and injured 

 by alkali may by this means be restored to its former productiveness." 



Drainage of irrigated, land, E. McCullough {Engineer. News, 50 {1903), No. 8, 



