177 



led to an enquiry into the prevalence of the disease, and since that 

 time, up to May 1913, 9 other cases have been discovered within a 

 small radius of the capital, all in children ranging between 9 months 

 and 9 years of age, of which 7 died. The dogs of the city were investi- 

 gated and it was found that out of 300 examined between May 1910 

 and March 1911, 8 were attacked; in 1912, out of 109 dogs 

 examined 4 were found infected, an average of 3'1 per cent. 

 Inoculation experiments were carried out for the purpose of conveying 

 the infection from an unquestionable case of kala-azar in a dog to 

 other dogs, 12 in all, and it was found that though not all the dogs 

 acquired the disease, nevertheless it proved to be transmissible from 

 dog to dog. Attempts were then made to effect the transmission of 

 the disease by means of fleas from diseased to healthy dogs. 

 The dejecta of the fleas were carefully examined after they had fed 

 upon the infected animals and, in a number of cases, parasites, appa- 

 rently Leishman bodies, were found. Dogs were infected with the flea 

 excreta by injection and also by allowing fleas which had fed upon an 

 infected animal to bite one which showed no signs of the disease. The 

 fleas used were Pulex irritans and Ctenocephalus cams, and although 

 the dejecta of these fleas showed the presence of what were apparently 

 Leishman bodies, the experiments failed. The author suggests that 

 this was possibly due to an experimentally, and not a spontaneously, 

 infected animal being used. 



Webster (F. M.). Natural Enemies of Simulium : Notes. — Psijche, 

 Boston, Mass., xxi, no. 3, June 1914, pp. 95-99. 



Some of the material described by Malloch in a previous paper 

 (p. 167) is here discussed. In one case, the parasite mentioned, if such it 

 really were, was a species of Nematode. It is noted that whilst the 

 pupae of S. pecuarum, Riley, would not develop adults if kept in 

 stagnant water, nevertheless eggs of this species hatched en route 

 when sent from Louisiana and Arkansas to Washington ; pupae 

 packed in Spanish moss frequently developed adults en route. 

 Both this species and S. invenustwn have been observed by the author 

 attacking cattle. It is thought that the great outbreaks of buffalo 

 gnats, especially along the Mississippi River, were largely due to 

 neglect of the levees. When these were repaired and kept in order 

 the pest practically ceased, but occasionally the levees give way and 

 overflows occur in the spring and these insects then appear in con- 

 siderable numbers. 



Chambers (F.) & Smith (J.). Immunisation of Imported Cattle against 



Northern Rhodesian Piroplasmosis and Anaplasmosis. — Jl. Comp. 



Path, and Therap., London, xxvii, pt. 2, June 1914, pp. 155-171, 



2 figs., 6 tables. 



This is an account of the work done at an inoculation station to 



immunise imported cattle against piroplasmosis and anaplasmosis 



in Northern Rhodesia. The station was situated near the Victoria 



Falls, and every possible precaution was taken to prevent the 



introduction of ticks; after a month, two gorged and two ungorged 



female Boophilus decoloratus were found, also two specimens of 



Rhipicephalus evertsi, which must have been introduced either in food 



stuffs or in the clothing of natives. 



