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winter feed. Breeding, lethal factors, and ergot feeding were considered to be possibilities at various times ; but, from the diverse histories of rams, breeding can scarcely be considered seriously. Nevertheless twenty breeding-ewes and one ram of irreproachable history have been placed on one of the affected paddocks to winter and lamb to watch effects. Ergot has not been generally noticed on the country, and deformity does not occur generally on rye-grass where e got is prevalent. Impaction of the rumen may be a possibility, but more possibly mineral deficiency and poor feeding may be the chief factors arresting development. Pastures are particularly low in sodium chloride, lime, and phosphorus. In conjunction with this work, two ewes were thyroidectomized, and will lamb on the Laboratory farm. Parasitic Gasiro-enteritis. —Feeding trials were carried out with hoggets already becoming anaemic and scouring. It was found practically impossible to get the lambs to take many of the dry foods, even with extensive starving; neither would they take licks or medicinal agents of any kind except by hand. Several parasitic drenches and supposed vermicides were tried, but were without effect. Change of diet, with, if possible, the addition of citrate of iron and ammonia to overcome the anaemia and act as a tonic, proved the only method of control. Discoloration of wool has been noted on three occasions, probably following the warmer and damper weather conditions. Ante-partum Paralysis.—Glucose injection in such cases was found to be unsatisfactory. Biochemical methods of attacking the disease are ready for the coming season. Swine. Vitamine B deficiency feeding trials mentioned in last year's annual report failed to produce paraplegia. The rice diet was changed to one of flour and casein. Spirochetosis has been seen frequently, and a Kahn test for syphilis on one pig proved positive. Dogs. Prophylaxis in Canine Distemper.—A method of immunizing dogs against distemper has recently been devised by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain, following on the successful researches of Messrs. Dunkin and Laidlaw at Millhill, London. This preventive measure, which can in no way inhibit or cure distemper when the disease has made its appearance, may be summarized as follows: The material is obtained from dogs and ferrets, the spleen in each case being used for the production of a vaccine (dead) and a virus (living) respectively. The vaccine is first injected into healthy puppies, and seven to fourteen days later, when the animal has developed a short-lived immunity, the virus is given and the immunity is consolidated so that the dog possesses a lifelong resistance to infection with distemper. Good results have been recorded in both Britain and America, and the manufacture of those prophylatics is now being carried out on commercial basis. Unfortunately, the protecting-power of the vaccine and the potency of the virus is so short-lived under ordinary conditions that material must be used immediately after preparation. This of necessity does not permit of the immunizing material being sent long distances, even in cold storage, for a satisfactory method of preserving the potency of the virus has yet to be found. Investigational work at Wallaceville during the last nine months of the year has consisted in testing out various types of material sent out by Messrs. Dunkin and Laidlaw from Millhill, and also the commercial vaccine and virus as now used in Britain, in order to find the most reliable type of virus for use in New Zealand which could be imported from Britain, and thus obviate the necessity of manufacture, since the process and control are both difficult and expensive. The work, which was nearing completion at the end of the year, is not very encouraging, and unless a new method of preparing the virus is found or the suggestion that two injections of vaccine at fortnightly intervals will protect dogs for six months can be relied upon the importation of prophylatic material from Great Britain will be impossible, and reliance will have to be placed on similar material made in this country. Attention of the staff at Wallaceville has already been- focused in this direction. Poultry. A number of interesting conditions have been received during the year. Those of most interest wert; outbreaks of coccidiosis—the one in ten-day-old chicks, the other in six-months-old pullets which had not been fed correctly. Cases of spontaneous bleeding are receiving attention. Miscellaneous Material. Several miscellaneous materials, such as disinfectants, water-samples, &c., were put through for other Departments and Divisions. Those of most interest were a number of fermented honeys, which will form the subject of considerable investigation. Four different yeasts were found to be responsible for the fermentation, and these have to be classified and the reason for their presence and action found out.