173 



pathogenic to domestic stock, though in a lesser degree than nagana, 

 and it has been suggested that it may be a chronic form of the latter, 

 reduced in virulence by passage through the smaller antelopes. 



With regard to game protection and the presence of endemic 

 centres of nagana, there are two alternatives, that of completely 

 exterminating all mammahan life, including domestic stock, or the 

 devising of means to prevent the spread of the disease from these 

 centres. The gradual extermination of game would bring the fly to 

 the villages in search of food as represented by the domestic stock, 

 and the increasing numbers of these animals constitute almost as 

 serious a factor in the spread of the disease as do the wild ones, so that 

 it is a mistake to suppose that, when the game only is destroyed, the 

 fly will vanish. 



Stoedy (R. J.). Disease of Cattle. — An7i. Rept. 1915-1916 Dept. 

 Agric. British East Africa, Nairobi, June 1916, pp. 62-71. 

 [Received 20th September 1917.]. 



Fresh outbreaks of African coast fever have occurred on several farms 

 owing to the shortage of immune transport oxen caused by military 

 need for this type of animal, and the impossibility of enforcing 

 strict quarantine measures. The spread of the disease in settled 

 districts, since the war began, can be due only to the illicit movement 

 of cattle from infected native reserves. About 80 dipping-tanks have 

 now been erected in the Protectorate, some by the Government, one 

 by the military authorities, and the rest by private individuals. It 

 was noticed, when dipping cattle against the red-legged tick 

 [RhijncepJiaJus everisi], that those individuals inside the ears escape 

 immersion ; hence the necessity for frequently dressing the inside of 

 the ears of infested cattle vnth. a mixture of lard and Stockholm tar. 

 The control by analysis of the numerous cattle-dips in the country has 

 not yet been made systematic, the frequency of this operation being 

 left to the discretion of the owner, who is often in ignorance of the 

 capacity of the tanlv and hence cannot make the necessary corrections, 

 relpng on correction by trial instead of by calculation. Steps are 

 therefore being taken to encourage owners to maintain their dips at 

 an efficient strength, instead of taking unfair advantage of the privilege 

 of free State analysis of their experimental samples. 



An outbreak of trypanosomiasis occurred in June, which appeared 

 to be largely disseminated by Stomoxys ; the affected area was placed 

 in quarantine and all the animals attacked were destroyed ; the 

 result of these measures has been to reduce the incidence of the 

 disease. 



Wood (H. P.). The Chicken Mite : its Life-History and RRhits.— U.S. 



Dept. Agric, Washington, B.C., Bull. no. 553, 10th August 1917, 

 M pp., 1 pi., 2 figs. 



The increase of the chicken mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, Redi, is 

 favoured by dirt, etc., and dark and damp surroundings help it to 

 Hve longer in the absence of food, which appears to consist solely of 

 blood. Pairing normally takes place away from the host soon after 

 the final moult and either before or after feeding ; the females begin 

 depositing eggs within 12 hours, several batches being laid, each 



