18 



insects. Technical terms have been avoided as far as possible, and 

 Avhenever used are explained. 



In the introductory chapter the general distribution of fleas on 

 animals is set out, with a brief statement of their life-history, and in this 

 a large amount of information is put together of considerable interest 

 to the uninitiated, who will perhaps be surprised to learn that monkeys 

 have no fleas. The importance of the study of flea 5 as the undoubted 

 carriers of plague and possible carriers of other diseases, is emphasised. 

 Three chapters are devoted to descriptions of the external structure, 

 the mouth-parts, sense-organs and internal organs of the flea. The 

 human flea {Prilex irritans) and others, which occasionally attack man, 

 including the Chigoe, are described. Another chapter is devoted to the 

 consideration of the relation of fleas to plague. The habits of the rats 

 which specially serve as hosts, and the fleas which particularly afTect 

 rats and bats are discussed at some length. In an appendix a list is 

 given of the British fleas with their hosts, revised to March 1913, 

 which includes 46 species, while another appendix contains simple 

 instructions for capturing and preserving fleas. A general biblio- 

 graphy is given, followed by a list of seven works dealing chiefly with 

 fleas in their relation to plague. 



Cousins (H. H.). Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture 

 for the year ended 31st March 1913. — Jamaica, Kingston, 1913, 

 p. 4. 



Among his general observations, the Director of Agriculture of 

 Jamaica reports on the efficiency of the Trypan Blue treatment for tick 

 fever. He states that of the 14 pedigree Red Poll cows imported in 

 April last from England, only one died during the year, while 13 calves 

 from these cows have been reared to date. Trypan Blue has also been 

 used with marked effect on cattle which were suffering severely from 

 tick fever. The best preventive of this disease with native cattle is 

 systematic spraying for ticks. 



In the Departmental wash of " Paranaph " and Cooper's Dip, 

 arsenite of soda (80 per cent, strength) has been substituted for the 

 Cooper's Dip. This tick remedy has proved a success. An improved 

 form of the " Abol " syringe has been found to be a very efficient 

 implement for the spraying of cattle. At Hope, the imported cattle 

 are stabled permanently, since the farm is invaded by millions of ticks 

 from surrounding lands where nothing is done to check them. Ticks 

 in Jamaica can only be dealt with by general and compulsory measures, 

 and the eradication of ticks is a sine qxa non for the improvement of 

 beef and dairy cattle in the island. 



It is also reported that owing to the serious risks of plague-rats 

 effecting an entry into the island in consequence of ship communi- 

 cation with Havana, just before plague was announced in that city last 

 summer, an energetic campaign of rat destruction was carried out. 

 The original attempts at eradicating rats by engendering a plague of 

 "rat typhoid" were a failure. The inoculated rats developed the 

 disease and died, but it did not spread to any extent among the rat 

 comniunity. Simple chemical poisons have"^ been found the most 

 effective, and the standard mixture used was arsenious oxide and 

 barium carbonate 



