and  the  Prevention  oj  Rot. 
305 
structive  fluke  should  not  be  so  restricted  that  the  losses  would 
at  once  be  reduced  to  a comparatively  trifling  amount.  There 
is  at  present  one  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  total  extermination 
of  the  fluke.  So  long  as  rabbits  and  hares  have  free  liberty  to 
convey  the  infection  from  one  district  to  another,  there  will 
always  be  a danger  of  a fresh  outbreak  in  places  where  the  fluke 
had  for  the  time  been  driven  out.  And  for  rabbits  in  a state  of 
nature  we  cannot  adopt  preventive  measures  in  the  same  way 
that  we  can  for  domesticated  animals,  so  that  on  wet  waste 
lands  the  breed  of  flukes  may  be  constantly  kept  up.  Very 
much,  however,  may  be  effected  by  united  action  ; and  if  the 
preventive  measures  which  are  now  suggested  are  strictly  carried 
out  by  all,  we  shall  hear  no  more  of  disastrous  outbreaks  of  the 
sheep-rot,  and  something  at  least  will  have  been  effected 
towards  raising  the  fortunes  of  British  agriculture. 
In  concluding,  I desire  once  more  to  express  my  thanks  to  all 
the  gentlemen  who  have  so  readily  and  courteously  assisted  my 
investigations  upon  their  fields.  It  gives  me  much  pleasure  to 
take  this  opportunity  of  thanking  Dr.  Acland  for  kindly  per- 
mitting me  to  use  the  Sanitary  Laboratory  of  the  Oxford 
Museum  for  my  experiments,  and  Professor  Moseley  for  kindly 
placing  all  apparatus  in  the  Anatomical  Department  at  my 
disposal. 
To  my  friend  Mr.  W.  Hatchett- Jackson,  Natural  Science 
Lecturer  of  St.  John’s  College,  Oxford,  I am  especially  in- 
debted, for  he  has  most  kindly  come  to  my  aid  when  prevented 
by  my  departure  for  New  Zealand  from  revising  the  present 
paper,  and  has,  by  undertaking  the  revision  of  the  proofs  of 
both  figures  and  text,  and  by  making  for  me  some  additional 
drawings,  rendered  its  earlier  publication  possible. 
VOL.  XIX, 
■S.  F. 
X 
