Minutes of Proceedings xlv 
ORDINARY MONTHLY MEETING. 
Wednesday, July 26, 1893. 
Mr. D. Git, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
The Rev. G. H. R. Fisk exhibited a bottle containing thirty-nine 
young snakes, of the ringhals species, the progeny of one mother. 
Dr. Murr exhibited three specimens of nodules, from one of which 
three pounds of pigment had been taken. He stated that it was quite 
a common thing to find in the neighbourhood of George, from which 
these came, nodules giving from two to three pounds of powder. 
Dr. MuIR reported that he had, as requested by the Society, inter- 
viewed the Colonial Secretary on the question of the preservation of 
Bushman paintings, etc., with the result that a circular had been drawn 
up and despatched to all Civil Commissioners. He considered it very 
desirable also to enlist private individuals in the cause. 
The PRESIDENT expressed the thanks of the Society to Dr. Muir for 
his action, and stated that any communications on the subject addressed 
to the General Secretary would be acceptable. 
A letter was read from Mr. W. Dunbar, C.E., describing earthquake 
shocks experienced by himself in various parts of the country. 
Dr. KANNEMEYER’S ‘ Notes on Locusts as Propagators of Foot and 
Mouth Disease’ was then read. He mentioned that several outbreaks 
of the disease, which could not be ascribed to the ordinary channels of 
infection, had occurred in the division of Albert. His theory was that 
cattle suffering from the disease deposited a quantity of frothy mucus 
on the herbage; and locusts coming from infected districts were covered 
with this secretion, which had clung to them when settling on the in- 
fected spots. He considered this a posssible, if somewhat startling, 
solution of the mystery. An additional danger lay in the fact that 
domestic animals greedily devour locusts. 
Mr. HutcHeon, M.R.C.V.S., did not agree with the theory pro- 
pounded by Dr. Kannemeyer, for the following reason: During the 
time that strict quarantine was kept on the border of the Colony, locusts 
came over in swarms, but he had not found a single case of foot and 
mouth disease that could be traced to them. He was of opinion that 
there was great mortality among the progeny of mares that fed on 
locusts. In dairy cattle he thought foot and mouth disease was caused 
by infection from farm servants. 
The President suggested that Dr. Kannemeyer should be thanked for 
