27 
Carnivora Mortality. 
Year Ending. 
Exhibited. 
Deaths 
from 
Gastro- 
enteritis. 
Per 
cent. 
Deaths 
from 
other 
causes. 
Per 
cent. 
February 28, 1912 
136 
11 
8 
17 
13 
February 28, 1913 
142 
12 
8 
19 
13 
February 28, 1914 
152 
18 
11 
13 
9 
February 28, 1915 
168 
31 
18 
14 
8 
February 28, 1916* 
166 
20 
12 
15 
9 
February 28, 1917 
161 
16 
9 
16 
10 
February 28, 1918 
144 
7 
5 
8 
5 
* New sanitary regulations instituted. 
Avian Mould Infection. 
Last year Dr. Fox endeavored to determine the source 
of the mould infections which have made sporadic in- 
roads upon various orders of birds. He found that 
moulds comparable to those producing disease could be 
obtained from a large number of the different foods; — so 
many in fact, that from one standpoint it is surprising 
that the disease is not more prevalent ; and from another 
that it would be useless to try to eliminate the mould- 
bearing foods from the diets. 
Thirty-seven samples of bird food ranging through 
meat, grain, fruit and fish were procured from the bird 
houses and sown upon appropriate (Sabouraud's) mould 
media. Seventy-five per cent, developed moulds, many 
of which were well known pathogenic ones. One of 
the latter was introduced into the larynx of several 
pigeons in the hope of reproducing mould disease but 
without result. Alcoholic and watery extractions of 
these moulds were then injected into the muscles of 
pigeons. A local necrosis resulted in some; but on the 
whole the experiments were considered negative. Dr. 
Fox reported this work to the Pathological Society of 
Philadelphia at its May meeting in this garden. 
