Mar --] Rosenhain, A Naturalist in Java. 163 



1916 J J u 



height and thickness. Water-lilies, nymphaeas, and the 

 Victoria regia can be seen to perfection. The collection of 

 orchids is very large, but at the time of my visit there were not 

 many in flower. One of the sights of the gardens is the 

 wonderful kanari avenue ; these trees are about 100 feet high, 

 giving a refreshing shade the whole day. The stems of these 

 trees are quite overgrown with creepers of a variety of foliage. 



[The paper was illustrated by a large number of tine lantern 

 slides depicting the various places mentioned. — Ed. Vict. Nat.\ 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



DISEASE AMONG WILD DUCKS. 



To the Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. 



Sir, — In the February number of the Victorian Naturalist 

 I read with interest the note, " Disease among Wild Ducks," 

 in which the editor of the Victorian Poultry Journal puts the 

 mortality among the wild ducks down to an outbreak of fowl 

 cholera. I have never heard of tbis disease attacking wild 

 fowl, and would call your attention to the report of the Chief 

 of the Biological Survey, U.S. Dept. Agr., Washington, 1915. 

 There an account is given of the epidemic among the wild fowl 

 in the vicinity of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, for several years. 

 In 1912 nearly 45,000 dead ducks were picked up on one marsh. 

 The birds become more or less paralyzed, lose the power of 

 flight, and gradually weaken until they die. Investigations 

 showed that the ducks frequenting the shallow water were the 

 lust to he affected, and that if given fresh water they recovered ; 

 out of 586 treated with clean water, 426 recovered. He says : 

 " Further experiments and observations seem to prove beyond 

 a reasonable doubt that the trouble arises from the presence 

 in the water of an alkali that is absorbed through the alimentary 

 tanal in fatal quantities." Is it not quite probable that similar 

 conditions may exist in your Victorian lakes and swamps, 

 and some mineral in the water causes the mortality ? — Yours 

 truly, 



WALTER W. FROGGATT. 

 Sydney, 18th February. E916. 



In the Press.— The announcement is made oi a volume 



dealing with the lives and habits of Australian insects, entitled 

 " The World of Little Lives." It is from the pen of Gladys H. 

 Froggatt, and is to be well illustrated. We hope to be able to 

 give fuller details next month. 



