104 



By far the larger numbers of the fleas were Ctenophthahnus 

 agyrtes. A few Ceratophyllus fasciatus aud but one specimen 

 each of Pulex irritans and Ctenophthalmus bisoctodentatus were 

 found. The largest numbers of fleas per rat (C. agyrtes) were 

 captured in February and March. 



Robinson (L. E.) & Davidson (J.). The Anatomy of Argas 

 persicus. — Parasitology, vi, no. 1, April 1913, pp. 20-48, 

 6 plates. 



A good account of the morphology of this troublesome pest of 

 poultry. The species is stated to occur in all countries lying 

 between the fortieth parallels of north and south latitude. 



Brown (W. G.). The Tandewanna Sheep Dip. — Queensland Agric. 

 Jl., Jan. 1913, pp. 17-19. 



The author says that during the past 12 months he has seen 

 more lice- and tick-infested sheep on the downs than he believed 

 possible, considering the amount of advice on the advantages of 

 sheep dipping which has been poured over the country. He then 

 states the advantages of dipping and the direct commercial 

 benefits resulting, and gives an account of the dipping of 40,000 

 sheep at Tandewanna by a method which is an improvement on 

 one said to have been invented by Mr. C. Keen of Gurley, New 

 South Wales. This dip is essentially a shower bath, instead of a 

 plunge, and has a flat tray roof perforated with holes under which 

 sheep stand quietly while the liquid used is showered upon them. 

 The specification is as follows : — The shed is 40 ft. long by 

 12 ft. 6 in. wide, the roof flat and covered with no. 22 gauge flat, 

 galvanised iron, tacked (not soldered) at all seams (the leakage 

 is said to be negligible) and perforated with no. 10 holes 3 inches 

 apart. The iron is turned up all round the edge about 6 ins. The 

 roof joists are 16 ins. by 2 ins., placed 18 ins. apart and run 

 across the building. The height of the shower is about 6 ft. 

 above the floor, which is made of corrugated galvanised iron 

 (no. 22 gauge) and not battened, and is laid with a fall to the 

 side of 2 ins. in 10 ft. across the shed. The channels of the 

 corrugation lead into a gutter which carries the liquor draining 

 off the sheep's back into the tank in which the dip is mixed. This 

 is an excavation 8 ft. by 4 ft. by 4 ft., lined with flat 

 galvanised iron and made water-tight, and from this a 3 in. 

 centrifugal pump, worked from a 2h B.H.P. engine, delivers 

 the mixture on the tray roof of the shed, whence it falls in a 

 gentle penetrating shower on the sheep standing beneath. The 

 shed has a pair of gates at each end to hold the sheep. It has 

 been found that there is no difficulty in persuading the sheep to 

 go quietly into this shed ("dip shyness" is unknown) and that 

 they are thoroughly wetted all over in 6 or T minutes. Four 

 minutes more is sufficient to drain them, and thus a shed full of 

 sheep may be dipped in 15 minutes allowing for filling and 



