110 NEW ^'ORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



plentiful source for the disease in the ranges for the elk and 

 caribou. It seems .to me advisable that if additions to the elk 

 herd be made that the new animals should not be allowed to 

 freely mingle with those of the present herd which are known 

 to be diseased. 



INFECTIOUS DISEASES. 



Perhaps the most serious form of infectious disease which we 

 have had to contend with during the past year has been actinomy- 

 cosis, commonly called "lumpy jaw." We have lost four ani- 

 mals — four antelope and one deer — as a result of this disease. 

 It is impossible to certainly trace the origin of this epidemic. 

 It is thought to have been brought to the Park by one of the 

 victims, an antelope ; it may, however, be that it was brought by 

 some other animal in which it did not develop far, and which in 

 some way came in contact with the antelope. Not the least im- 

 probable theory for the origin of the disease is that it was con- 

 tracted from germs remaining in the soil of the enclosure, and 

 that some one of the animals became infected after the usual 

 method through some wound or abrasion of the mucous mem- 

 brane. 



To my mind this presents a very probable source of the infec- 

 tion, for we know that the land now occupied by the Park has 

 been utilized in past years largely for a pasture, and similar 

 modes of infection in like circumstances are not infrequently re- 

 ported. The remaining possible course of contagion is to be 

 considered in the food, which may have been contaminated by 

 some diseased animal. Once the disease is introduced the spread 

 of it is of course perfectly clear. 



In some respects the character of this disease has differed 

 from the form usually seen in cattle or horses. The actinomy- 

 cotic nodules have been noticeably smaller than is generally the 

 case in cattle, and as might be expected, following the law laid 

 down by Darwin, the disease being probably newly introduced, 

 proved especially virulent. The pathological picture is further 

 characterized by a greater than usual tendency to the formation 

 of metastases. In this respect it has more resembled the disease 

 as it is found in the human than in animals previously studied. 



DISTEMPER. 



Ten animals have been lost through distemper. The disease 

 was introduced through a coyote which was brought to the Park 

 probably while suffering from the disease. T have been unable 



