74 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Enteritis is a common affection occurring among the small 

 mammals, especially the carnivores. Keeper Max Lansberg of 

 the Small-Mammal House is much interested in this disease, 

 and has been very helpful in studying the effect of various foods 

 on the sensitive digestive organs of these animals under his im- 

 mediate care. 



Tuberculosis. — While this disease has, for a considerable 

 number of years, been an unimportant factor in the death 

 rate, yet during the past year it has caused tlie loss of several 

 animals. All but two of these deaths occurred outside the 

 primate collection to which, heretofore, it had been confined al- 

 most exclusively. During the spring a number of hooded seals, 

 the gift of Mr. Harry Whitney, were deposited in the Park. 

 Within a few weeks all of them died, and in each case they were 

 found to have suffered from either generalized or pulmonary 

 tuberculosis. As these animals were captured less than four 

 weeks before their arrival at the Park, these cases are impor- 

 tant, — showing that they must have become affected while still 

 in arctic waters, where previously it has been entirely unknown 

 among wild animals. We also lost a female Bengal tiger from 

 pulmonary tuberculosis. This animal had been in the collection 

 for about ten years. There were also two unimportant cases 

 in the primate collection during the year. 



Actinomycosis. — There have been three cases of this 

 dreaded disease among the prong-horn antelopes. One case 

 occurred before the animal was placed on exhibition, and while 

 still in quarantine. This animal showed extensive lesions of 

 the jaws and stomach. It seems impossible to keep these ani- 

 mals on account of their great susceptibility to infection of 

 lumpy-jaw or actinomycosis. The present introduction of this 

 dreadful and incurable disease was the fourth time that it has 

 been brought to this Park by prong-horn antelopes. 



Distemper. — There were two cases of distemper among the 

 small carnivores in the small-mammal collection. These ani- 

 mals were new arrivals, and with highly commendable vigi- 

 lance the keeper detected the condition of the animals in the 

 early stages of the disease, thus preventing the spread of the 

 infection to other animals in the collection. 



Parasitic gastritis and enteritis has not given us much 

 trouble for a number of years, although we find that a large 

 percentage of the newly arrived animals liarbor various intes- 

 tinal parasites. 



