730 
Facts and Observations. 
Election of Dr. Cobbold as President of the 
Quekett Microscopical Club. —At the annual meeting 
of the Quekett Microscopical Club, held in the 
library of University College on the evening of 25th July, 
1879, Dr. T. Spencer Cobbold, F.R.S., &c., was by unani¬ 
mous vote elected to the office of President for the coming year 
as successor to Professor T. H. Huxley, LL.B., F.R.S., &c. 
The Club has a large and influential number of constitu¬ 
ents, among whom are several members of the veterinary 
profession. 
Smithfield Cattle Show.—Special Prizes for 
“ Food Animals.” —The City Press states that “ the Court of 
the Butchers’ Company have decided to offer a prize of 
twenty-five guineas and one of ten guineas for the best ox 
and the best pen of sheep exhibited at the Christmas Cattle 
Show for the purposes of food. This is exceedingly good 
news. We shall in time get our fat stock shows judged 
solely on this principle, as in the United States of America.” 
American Importations—Transit Losses. —From 
the returns which have been presented to the Liverpool 
underwriters from time to time since January last, a calcula¬ 
tion as to the average percentage of loss of live stock during 
the voyage from America and Canada has been made by 
them. It appears that in the case of cattle the loss is about 
3 per cent, of the numbers shipped, while sheep suffer to the 
extent of only 2 per cent. The heaviest mortality is in the 
case of pigs, being over 10 per cent. The compilation of 
these calculations has been carefully effected. They show a 
great diminution in the proportion of loss since the first 
establishment of the trade in live stock, at which time the 
deaths amongst the cattle amounted in many instances to 25 
per cent. The decreased ratio is due to the means which are 
now adopted for the comfort of the cattle on the voyage. 
The space devoted to their accommodation is usually suffi¬ 
ciently large to prevent undue crowding, and special atten¬ 
dants accompany each consignment of stock, whereas 
formerly the cattle were huddled indiscriminately into the 
space at the disposal of the shipper, and left principally to 
shift for themselves during the passage. In some instances 
the same state of affairs obtains now .—Mark Lane Express. 
