626 DISEASE IN WILD MAMMALS AND BIRDS 
albeit in different proportions, we surmise at least that 
it is likewise so with them. 
Importance of Parasites in Other Fields. — In addi- 
tion to their importance to exliibitions, animal parasites 
of wild animals are important first to man. The animal 
hosts may serve as porters of infestation, and interfere 
with attempts at eradication of the disease. The experi- 
ence of the European with African sleeping sickness 
attests to this. Not to go farther than immediate examples 
I wish to note in this connection the occurrence in this 
Garden of scabies in an orang which was transmitted to a 
keeper, and of amebic dysentery in monkeys. Leiper(ll) 
has called attention to a guinea-wonn in a leopard. 
Parasites are important to certain wild animal indus- 
tries. The ones that have come to my attention are the 
fur seal (Otoes alaskanits) industiy of the Pribiloff 
Islands and fox-farming in Newfoundland. In both of 
these instances the hookworm was concerned and entailed 
losses of thousands of dollars. Lucas, who conducted a 
LTiiited States Government commission to the seal 
grounds and after whom Stiles named the parasite, has 
left very full notes of the former disease. I have identi- 
fied the same infestment in a young California hair seal 
{Zalophiis calif oniianus) which was born and died 
in this Garden. This indicates that the parasite might 
perhaps be found farther down the Pacific coast than 
hitherto suspected. 
To hunters parasitism of animals must be important, 
but to an unknown and undoubtedly unimagined extent. 
The grouse plague of Scotland (12) is an example to point. 
Who knows but that the disappearance of some of our 
game animals, particularly birds, was not due more to 
disease than to the ravages of man? There is at least 
food for thought here. 
(11) Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1910, p. 147. 
(12) Fantham, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1910, p. 672. 
