PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 159 
only likely common source, under the circumstances, was 
mice, which were abundant. 
In December, 1917, Dr. C. N. Paul,’ of Sydney, referred 
to the mouse visitation being accompanied by a large num- 
ber of cases of rmgworm in man. He associated the two 
causally, partly because many of those handling the in- 
fected wheat became affected, and partly because many mice 
were seen ‘‘with patches almost denuded of hair.’’ He 
described one case in particular with photographs. The 
patient shewed extensive areas on exposed parts of a cir- 
cinate pustular dermatitis; later these parts presented the 
appearance of a chronic eczema. The fungus was revealed 
in the hairs and scales, and was easily grown. It proved 
to be a microid ecto-endothrix trichophyton of the Gypseum 
group, for which he proposed the name of TJ'richophyton 
rodens. 
Later, Dr. Lawrence, of Melbourne (loc cit.), who from 
his description and a photograph was evidently dealing with 
the same disease as Dr. Paul, came to the provisional con- 
clusion that the human complaint was due to Achorion 
Quinckeanum Zopf, the cause of a favus disease of mice. 
With this view, as regards the generality of cases, Dr. Paul 
(loc ctt., March 2nd, 1918, p. 185) does not agree. 
Birps AND THE DESTRUCTION OF MICE. 
Captain 8. A. White, of Fulham, South Australia, has 
informed me that ‘‘in the latter part of the invasion, the 
straw-necked ibis appeared in great numbers, and they 
devoured millions of mice. White-faced herons and barn 
owls also accounted for great numbers.’’ The specific 
names of these birds are respectively Carphibis spinicollis 
James, Notophoyx novae-hollandiae Lath., and Tyto alba 
delicatula Gould. 
+Paul, “A Ringworm Epidemic presenting a New Type of Fungus,” 
Med. J. of Aust., Dee: 15th, 1917, p. 496 
