165 



of cattle introduced for the purpose of improving the type has proved 

 very great. Attempts to produce immunity against these diseases 

 have met with varying success. It was found that animals bred on 

 dipped areas, when removed to tick-infested veld, contracted redwater 

 and frequently died. Until dipping is universal, its practice is attended 

 by marked disadvantages in limiting the movement of stock born on 

 clean areas. Although redwater yields readily to regular dipping, 

 anaplasmosis is not easily eliminated. Blood, taken from cattle from 

 dipped areas and inoculated into cattle newly arrived from Great 

 Britain, produced a marked anaplasmosis reaction. In one case blood 

 from a nine months old heifer, born and running since birth on an 

 area where five-day dipping had been practised under Government 

 supervision for five years, caused no redwater, but gave rise to a severe 

 anaplasmosis, from which the inoculated animal died. It would 

 appear therefore that the ideal method of dealing with these diseases 

 is to supplement regular dipping with a simple and safe method of 

 protective inoculation. The first series of experiments undertaken 

 to discover a specific therapeutic agent against anaplasmosis was 

 unsuccessful. A second series was conducted to discover and test 

 various strains of virus which would give rise to a mild form of plas- 

 mosis, followed by a marked degree of immunity or tolerance. Twelve 

 imported shorthorn heifers were used for the purpose. A favourable 

 Aarus was obtained and six of the animals suffered from mild reactions 

 from which they recovered. They were then exposed to natural tick 

 infection, which it is believed they will be able to resist. The virus 

 is now being tested on the remainder of the heifers, and if good results 

 are obtained, the inoculation of imported stock will, in the near future, 

 be carried out more successfully than formerly. 



Buck (J. E.). Fly Baits.— Alabama Agric. Expt. Sta., Auburn, Circ. 

 no. 32, June 1915, 6 pp., 1 fig. 



During the summer of 1914, tests were made for the purpose of 

 determining the relative attractiveness of a number of fly baits. 

 Dr. A. W. Morrill's work in this connection [see this Review, Ser B, ii, 

 p. 159] being perhaps the most extensive effort made up to then. 

 The twelve most important baits are recorded in the order of their 

 attractiveness, the first three being: (1) Light bread, buttermilk 

 (to which 7 per cent, of commercial, 40 per cent, formaldehyde had 

 been added) and a httle sugar or syrup, preferably the latter ; (2) 

 light bread and equal parts of sweet milk and water to which had been 

 added 5 per cent, of commercial formaldehyde and a little sugar ; 

 (3) light bread, sweet milk containing 10 per cent, grain alcohol 

 (95 per cent), and a little sugar. Another bait consisted of fish scraps 

 and this was tested once with three others. Of the 1,759 flies caught, 

 the fish caught 13-24 per cent. ; decaying banana 19-72 per cent. ; 

 buttermilk with 3 per cent, grain alcohol and a Uttle sugar used 

 on Hght bread, 43-21 per cent. ; and sweet milk containing 

 5 per cent, of formaldehyde used on light bread with a httle sugar, 

 23-82 per cent. Fish scraps have been used with good results in towns 

 and these figures show how this bait compares with some of the best 

 baits found in these tests. In using the liquid baits, the light bread 

 is first put in the bait pan ; the liquid bait (which should be made up 



