223 



The tiuestion arises, how did these parasites reach the rocky 

 shores of Carrera's Island ? It is quite destitute of domestic 

 animals in whose train ticks usually follow, and the only apparent 

 means of a li-\-elihood they have are the iguanas and a few rats. 



It is pi'obable these parasites have a purpose in life and in 

 my mind it is an evil one. — In a recent number of the " Field " 

 there is an account of a sickness amongst cattle in some parts of 

 America, which is described as " Texas Fever. " 



On investigating the causes of the disease it was almost 

 conclusively proved that contagion was conveyed from place to 

 place and to the animals by ticks, for perfectly healthy cattle 

 were inoculated by ticks taken from diseased ones and the fever 

 at once appeared amongst them. 



Happily our domestic animals are free from disease, due 

 primarily to our limited intercourse with other countries, but it 

 will be well to bear in mind the evils this parasite can produce. 



C. W. Meaden. 

 2nd June. 



CASSAVAS. — Janipha spp. 



Of late, public attention has been drawn to these plants : 

 first, by an article in the Agricultural Record'^ by the Rev. Mr. 

 Morton, on the cultivation of Sweet Cassava {Janipha utilissiraa, 

 Pohl) and later, by several letters in the local newspapers on the 

 difference between the sweet and bitter cassavas (./. manihof, L.), 

 all of which go to show that for articles of food in such extensive 

 use, a good deal remains to be learnt by the public about them. 

 And the sooner some items thereof are investigated and published, 

 the sooner the recurring accidents of cassava poisoning will 

 diminish. 



As to the means of distinguishing between sweet and bitter 

 cassava, two of the above-mentioned letters say that beyond the 

 fact that the stem of the sweet cassava is crooked, and that of the 

 bitter, straight, there is no certain means of distinguishing the 

 plants botanically or otherwise. Now, though there is some 

 more or less certain means known to cultivators of distinguishing 

 between the plants, the means of distinguishing the 7-oots from one 



*August and September, 1892. 



