A'A TURE-STUD V AND SCIKXCE NO TES 1 89 



known as surra being introduced by animals from that country, and that these 

 cattle are apparently immune to Texas fever and to the attacks of the cattle 

 ticks of the United States. They have been exposed to the ticks carrying 

 the infection of Texas fever, and not only have they failed to contract the 

 disease, but the ticks do not seem to develop upon them. When exposed on 

 the same pasture with American cattle which are heavily infested with ticks, 

 they remain practically free from these parasites. It remains to be seen 

 whether they will continue to withstand infestation during the warm season. 

 In view of the danger from surra, the Department of Agriculture is unwill- 

 ing to allow further importations from India. Surra is caused by a micro- 

 organism scientifically termed Trypanosoma and is a very fatal disease of 

 horses, mules, dogs, and certain other animals, while in animals of the bovine 

 species it is relatively a mild affection Cattle may carry the infective agent 

 in their blood without showing any marked evidence of disease, and herein 

 lies the great danger, as apparently healthy cattle from India might be the 

 means of introducing a disease highly destructive to horses and mules. Flies 

 may carry the contagion from an infected to a healthy animal ; hence the 

 cattle in the importation above mentioned were confined in separate box stalls 

 and carefully screened while in quarantine. 



NEWS NOTES 



[Editor's Note. — Again the Editor must request the cooperation of readers 

 for this department. News concerning nature-study and especially concerning 

 persons and institutions interested in nature-study in all its phases will certainly 

 interest many readers. This department would be a regular feature if informa- 

 tion for news notes could be obtained by The Review.] 



The above editor's note was called forth by a letter of recent date which 

 contained an incidental reference to the death of Professor Buel P. Colton, 

 of the Illinois State Normal University, author of the well known text-books 

 of elementary physiology and high-school zoology. A letter of inquiry has 

 brought the information that Professor Colton 's death occurred nearly a year ago. 



Professor Otis W. Caldwell has resigned from the normal school at 

 Charleston, 111. to accept an appointment in the Department of Botany and 

 School of Education in the University of Chicago. He will have general 

 charge of the nature-study work. 



Courses for Teachers of Agriculture. An arrangement has just been 

 completed between the College of Agriculture of Cornell University and the 

 Department of Biology of Teachers College, Columbia University, for 



