180 DR, N. S. LUCAS ON 



mycosis will shed some light on this fall. How much of this 

 diminution in the incidence of these diseases is due to the l)ii-ds 

 being less crowded it is difficult to say. If the numbers of birds 

 rise to pre-war height, it will be interesting to watch the coire- 

 sponding eiiect on these diseases. 



The decrease in the death-rate among the reptiles is still more 

 marked, being nearly half, even when newly-imported individuals 

 are considered. This is due to the absence of an epidemic of 

 pneumonia, which in 1913 claimed 138 victims, while the total 

 deaths from lung diseases for 1920 is 61. 



If only the more acclimatized specimens are considered, the 

 death-rate is remarkably low. This is probably due to the fact 

 that those; which had been in the Gardens for more than six 

 months were mostly reptiles which had survived the difiicult 

 pei'iod of the war and were rather specially well acclimatized. 



Notes on the Analysis of the Caibses of Death. 



1. Pleui'isT/. — It is interesting to note the rarity of this disease 

 among animals in compaiit^on with its common incidence among 

 humans. 



One case occurred in a green cercopitheque. the other in a 

 macaque. 



2. This occurred in a grey mongoose. 



3. This was fonnd in an Indian hunting dog, and was due to a 

 nematode, Spiroptera sanc/iiiiwleiUa. 



4. This occurred in a Burnett's cercopitheqiie. 



5. It is difficult to account for the diminution in the dea.ths 

 from nephritis. The figures this year are 8, 31, a)id for the 

 three classes, wdiile in 1913 they were 90, 135, and 6. At first 

 sight it might seem that this was due to a difl^ei'ence in opinion 

 as to the cause of death, but as there has been no corresponding 

 rise in a,ny other disease or diseases, this cannot be the cause. 

 So little is known as to the cause of nephritis, that it is impossible 

 to assign a reason,. 



6. In a budgerigar. 



7. Enteritis still remains the chief cause of death among the 

 bii'ds. One organism, that of £. aertryck, has been isolated from 

 a newly-imported gi'ey touracon and a newly-imported pari'akeet. 



8. These occurred in a ring-tailed lemur, a badger, and a 

 bonnet macaque. 



9. In a black-backed jackal. 



10. In a bonnet macaque. This was an old individual. 



11. In a fairy blue-bird. 



12. In a violet tanager. 



13. The high death-rate from tuberculosis among the mammals 

 as, compared with that of birds is of intei'est. 



Among the mammals 69 deaths occuired, of which 43 were 

 those of macaques in the canal-bank aviaiy. Of the remaining 

 26, five occurred in the Lion House, leaving 21 for the other 



