300 NOTES — ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 



Oysters and the Typhoid Bacillus. — The Times of 

 January nth, 1904, had a leading article on the conclusions set 

 forth by tlie Royal Commission on Sewage- Disposal with 

 reference to the precautions which can be taken for the 

 preservation of oysters from the Bacillus of Typhoid. An excuse 

 for the reluctance of the Commissioners to recommend stringent 

 measures for the prevention of the outfall of untreated sewage 

 into tidal estuaries lies in an unexpected bacteriological 

 difficulty. The chief risk from sewage contamination arises 

 from the possible presence of the typhoid bacillus. This bacillus 

 is fortunately rare, but the Bacillus coli-coinmunls, which is 

 invariably found in the human alimentary canal, and has 

 hitherto been regarded as evidence of sewage contamination, is 

 now found to be generally present in the oyster " even when 

 this creature is of the most unspotted character." In short, the 

 Bacillus coli-communis may be as natural to the oyster as 

 to man, and therefore its presence cannot be regarded as 

 evidence that the oyster has lived in sewage-contaminated water. 

 The Commissioners, however, hold out hopes of being able to 

 say that the colon bacilli in an oyster should not exceed a 

 certain number, excessive quantities of them only being 

 regarded as indicating sewage contamination. — T.V.H. 



INSECTS. 

 Deilephila Livornica near Romford. — Our member, 

 Mr. G. P. Hope, of Havering Grange, near Romford, writes that 

 on July 17th he found feeding on Antivvhinuin in his garden a 

 larva which he and several entomologists to whom he has shown 

 it consider to be Deilephila livornica [=.liueata) — the " Striped 

 Hawk- Moth." The larva of this moth is very variable, and Mr. 

 Hope's specimen differs from the figures in " Buckler " and 

 ** Westwood," but Mr. Fenn and others have little doubt as to 

 the species. D. livornica is very rare in Essex (as indeed every- 

 where in Britain), but has occurred near Colchester, Walton-on- 

 Naze, Upton Park, Walthamstow, etc. The natural history 

 journals record the capture of several specimens this season, and 

 Mr. Hope mentions one that was sent to a friend from South 

 Devon early in May. All these specimens are doubtless 

 immigrants from the continent, and Mr. Hope's caterpillar would 

 be the progeny of one of these spring visitants. The larva has 



