748 
Report to the General Meeting, 
of serviceable information to Members and others during that time. 
^Vfter a careful consideration of the new arrangements necessary 
in consequence of Miss Ormerod’s resignation, the Council have 
decided to create a department of Zoology as applied to agriculture, 
and to place this department in charge of an officer, who will devote 
himself to the study of the life histories and habits of insects, birds, 
and other animals useful or injurious to agriculture, with the object of 
supplying practical and reliable information thereon to Members of 
the Society, under conditions to be arranged. 
17 . The Council again refer with satisfaction to the success of 
the recent efforts of the Board of Agriculture in dealing with 
contagious pleuro-pnenmonia. The outbreaks of this disease have 
annually decreased in number from 618 in 1887 to 60 in 1891, and 
to 35 according to the last published returis of the present year. 
In view, therefore, of the late outbreak of pleuro-pneumonia 
amongst store cattle imported into Scotland from Canada, the 
Council felt grave apprehension lest the losses and restrictions 
suffered by British Agriculturists in the endeavour to stamp out 
the disease should prove futile, owing to continued free importation 
of animals from an infected country. In concert with other im- 
portant agricultural bodies, they therefore attended as a deputation 
to the President of the Board of Agriculture on November 4, for 
the 25ui’pose of urging the Board to put at once into force the Act 
of 1878 by rescinding the special regulations under which Canadian 
cattle were exempted from slaughter at the port of landing, and 
in tliis object they were successful. 
18 . In reference to the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, Avhioh 
suddenly made its appearance in the London Cattle Market early 
in February, and at one time threatened to become widely spread 
throughout the country, it must be a source of great satisfaction 
to agriculturists generally to ffnd that the disease was practi- 
cally eradicated within six months of its introduction. During the 
period mentioned it appeared in fifteen counties in Great Britain. 
Ninety-two outbreaks were reported, 4,900 animals were attacked, 
568 were killed, and 151 died; besides this many hundreds were 
.slaughtered by the Board of Agriculture to check the extension of 
the disease. At the close of this year it may be said that the country 
has never been so free from contagious diseases of animals as at 
present. Pleuro-pneumonia is practically eradicated, not only in 
Great Britain but in Ireland. Foot and Mouth Disease has ceased 
to exist, and Swine Fever has decreased very considerably, the result 
being that every part of the country is now entirely free from those 
restrictions which for many years have been so vexatious to the 
owners of cattle and sheep. 
19 . At the Royal Teterinary College a number of important 
r(!searches have been carried out under the Society’s gi’ant in aid of 
the study of Comparative Pathology and Bacteriology. These include 
swine erysipelas, actinomycosis, glanders, tuberculosis, and yew- 
