226 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXII. No. 560 



one-half innumbersof all migrating birds, reach or pass us, 

 we are visited by a large series of birds, mostly small 

 ones, which go further north to breed. The following 

 have been observed in our oak; Nashville, parula, yellow- 

 rumped, black-throated green, Tennessee and Wilson's 

 warbler and the water thrush, while the black and white 

 creeper and Blackburnian warblers remain to nest to some 

 exteut in the county. 



Among the vireos, three, the warbling, red-eye and yel- 

 low-throated, occasionally visit our tree, and all nest in 

 the county. The blue-gray gnatcatcher, although a wood- 

 land species, occasionally wanders to our oak. 



Three species, the bluejay, robin and chipping spar- 

 row, have rested in this tree during my observations. 



It will occupy too much of your space to enumerate the 

 many species of insects which have been found feeding on 

 the foliage or resting on the trunk or limbs of this one 

 tree, but enough observations have been presented to sug- 

 gest the value of continued notes, even on the visitors to 

 one Oak Tree. 



There are many common species of birds which have 

 not as yet been recorded, and many of them are to be 

 lookedfor and may still be added to the list. A number 

 of birds have been seen which could not be identified, and 

 these instances have always been ignored, the above list 

 beins exact. 



THE USE OF TUBEECULIN AND MALLEIN .FOR 



THE DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS AND 



GLANDERS IN ANIMALS. 



Shoetly after the announcement made by Koch of the 

 effect of ti:berculin, the product of the growth of the 

 ■bacillas tuberculosis, upon man, the idea was suggested 

 that tuberculin would be a very useful agent for diagnos- 

 ing tuberculosis in cattle. This is often a very difficult 

 matter, and the advantage of a sure method of diagnosis 

 was at once apparent. 



While it is probably true that unless the udder of a 

 milch cow is diseased there is but little danger of the 

 milk being contaminated with the consumption germ, the 

 diseased animals even with incii^ient cases are fruitful 

 sources for the infection of other animals as well as man. 



Just to what extent man contracts tuberculosis from 

 cattle and other animals, and vice verm, to what extent 

 animals contract this disease from man is not known and 

 would be very difficult to determine. The probabilities, 

 however, point in favor of the fact that cattle are often 

 the intermediate agent in the production of consumj^tion 

 in man. 



A small quantity of tuberculin injected into cattle suf- 

 fering from tuberculosis will cause, in diseased animals, 

 a rise of tempierature of two and a half to five degrees 

 Fah., within eight to ten hours after the injection, while 

 healthy animals for the most part do not respond to this 

 test. 



A large number of experiments with tuberculin have 

 been conducted, especially in Germany and France, and 

 in general with satisfactory results. Some few cases have 

 been noted where the animals did not resjoond to the test' 

 of tuberculin, but upon section proved to be diseased, 

 while a few others that were not diseased showed a slight 

 reaction with the tuberculin. In the first cases, however, 

 the activity of the tuberculous lesions was not demon- 

 strated by inoculations. It is v\ell known that old, inact- 

 ive lesions may be found in animals that have been 

 slightly diseased and recovered. In the second cases the 

 autopsies have not always been sufficiently close to prove 

 the entire absence of disease, as there has not been an 

 examination of the bones and spinal column. It is further 

 possible, that the cause of infection might be present in 



the animal without having reached a sufficiently advanced 

 stage for lesions to be apparent. 



With a view of making tuberculin of practical value 

 and eventually stamping out consumption among cattle, 

 the Department of Agriculture has begun a series of ex- 

 periments, and the rejiort of the Secretary of Agriculture 

 for 1892, recently issued, contains a statement from the 

 Biochemic Laboratory of the Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 of some of the results obtained. In this laboratory a 

 number of tests have been made as to methods of manu- 

 facturing tuberculin, and the Bureau has been prepared, 

 for some time, to furnish tuberculin of its own manu- 

 facture to Boards of Health, Exj^eriment Stations and 

 State Veterinarians, for practical use. 



In addition to these exjjeriments this laboratory also 

 manufactures Mallein, obtained from the growth of the 

 bacillus malleus. The mallein is used for diagnosing 

 glanders in horses and has jjroved exceedingly valuable. 

 Through the efforts of the Bureau of Animal Industry, 

 this product has been widely distributed in the States, 

 and its use in different hands has proven very satisfactory. 

 In many instances, by its means, the disease in apparently 

 healthy horses has been detected and by the destruction 

 of the animal the source of infection for valuable stock 

 removed and considerable projjerty saved. 



As the tuberculin and mallein are made thus under 

 government control and in one laboratory, the product is 

 uniform in character, and can be prepared at a very ranch 

 less cost than the imported tuberculin can be purchased. 

 By the use of these two diagnostic agents the Depart- 

 ment hopes to be able to do a great deal in the way of 

 exterminating two dangerous diseases. Whether or not 

 it would be joractical to stamp out tuberculosis among 

 cattle by killing all diseased or suspicious animals, is a 

 question, but it would be possible hj the use of tuber- 

 culin and proper sanitary regulations to check the ad- 

 vance of the disease and coufine it within prescribed 

 areas. 



It is along this line of investigation that advance in 

 the future, in human and veterinary medicine, will be 

 made, and the Dej^artment of Agriculture in looking to a 

 control of tuberculosis and glanders is keeping in view, 

 not onlj' the best interests of the agricultural classes, but 

 of the i^eople in general. " Bios." 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



It has been said that "the little red schoolhouse" was 

 the corner stone of American civilization, and from the 

 very force of sentiment and historical memories the coun- 

 try school of New England retains its hold upon thou- 

 sands who may have never entered its doors In ''The 

 Countrj' School in New England," written and illustrated 

 by Clifton Johnson, the author describes the winter and 

 summer terms, the scholars in their classes and at the 

 blackboard, their punishments, their fishing and coasting, 

 their duties and amusements on the farm — iu short, the 

 every-day life of the boys and girls of rural New Eng- 

 land in the days of our fathers and our own. Every 

 phase of his subject is aptly illustrated with pictures 

 from life. There are over sixty illustrations in this book, 

 which is to be isublished immediately by D. Appleton & 

 Co. 



— A scientific session of the National Academy of 

 Sciences will be held in Albany, in the Capitol, Nov. 7, be- 

 ginning at 11 A. M. Members who have • papers for this 

 meeting may send the titles to Prof. Lewis Boss, Dudley 

 Observatory, Albany, New York. A special stated session 

 of the Academy is called for Wednesday, Nov. 8, in Al- 

 bany, to consider the President's Annual Report to Con- 

 gress, and other business that may come before the Acad- 

 emy. 



