69 



others put together, because its work is done unseen, and it often can- 

 not be easily avoided, even when its presence is detected." 



Gteo. Armatage in " Every Man his own Cattle Doctor." ( — 6th 

 Ed., 1890), writes as follows :— 



" Abortion frequently proves a source of continued loss and anxiety 

 to the stock breader, from the numerous instances in which pregnant 

 animals expel the foetus after one of their number has committed the 

 act, the malady appears to run through the herd with almost electric 

 celerity, and, in some instances, even particles of enzootic characters, 

 from which it has been considered to possess contagious properties. 

 We are, however, now certain that such a conclusion is an erroneous 

 one, and can confidently account for the disease in excessive plethora, 

 presence of pugnacious animals, disposition to chase each other, de- 

 rangement of digestive or urinary organs, leading to violent straining, 

 colic, &c, as well as blows, falls, leaps, &c, and all such influences 

 that are likely to sever the connection between mother and foetus' 

 These may be termed vital and mechanical causes. 



Professor Tanner — in ' Veterinary Review,' Yol. I. — maintains, this 

 disease occurs in more instances than are either discovered or ad- 

 mitted, from the effects of the ergot of rye-grass, to which is awarded 

 similar ecbolic properties as are supposed to obtain in the ergot of rye. 

 A humid atmosphere or wet season, he, states, are required to produce 

 the ergot upon fully ripened seeds. This, however, fails to account 

 for abortion, which occurs as often in dry seasons 



" Abortion is not a contagious disease as applied by the term in the 

 sense in which it is always used. The rapidity and certainty with 

 which animals successively abort, is, doubtless, caused by a morbid 

 nervous excitement, of which the cow is particularly sensible, induc- 

 ing a general uneasiness in which premature contraction of the womb 

 is ensured, or detachment of the usual means of connection between 

 mouther and foetus, and consequently, death of the latter. Enzootic 

 forms of abortion, doubtless, arise from the peculiarity of vegetation 

 during certain seasons, as well as by bad smells, the result of some 

 local putrif action, a morbid sensitiveness in the cow favouring a wild 

 excitement, which deranges the contents of the uterus, and perpe- 

 tuates the disease in a herd. When it occurs in cattle exclusively 

 housed, it may be generally traced to defective drainage, and some- 

 times to inoculation by putrefactive germs coming in contact with the 

 mucous membranes of the genital organs. In this instance, the em- 

 bryo or foetus doubtless dies from a faulty condition of the blood. 



COGCIME, OR SCALE INSECTS. — V. 



By T. D. A Cockerell, Professor of Entomology at the New Mexico 



Agricultural College. 

 (20.) Lecanium urichi, Ckll. (The Ants'-Nest Shield-Scale). 

 Diagnosis. — About the size and shape of a half-pea, but somewhat 

 smaller and flutter ; red-brown, very shiny, with black or blackish in- 

 terrupted lines indicating the segments. Legs and antenna? appa- 

 rently absent in the adult female. 



Distribution. — Only known from Trinidad, where it was discovered 

 by Mr. Urich. 



