Tha following is from the "Japan Gazette" of January 18:—In view of the prevalence of plague in Manchoria, the Yokohama harbour authorities have-decided to take special disinfection measures in regard to vessels arriving here from the Manchurian port. This arrangement went into force yesterday. The 0.8. K. steamer Shoka Mara, which arrived from Tairen at 10 s.m. yesterday, was the first steamer to undergo disinfection. Her holds having beea thoroughly disinfected by gas, over 200 rats were suffocated and killed, but the authorities found that from plague bacilli On the subject of the Mongolian "marmot" we have received the following interesting letter To the Editor of the "Noara-Oara Dairy News,"
Sin,—As a former resident of Mavchuria Station, where the first serious outbreak of plague occurred, allow me to add a few supplementary words to your correspondent' narrative, The little animal, which, according to all the accounts I have seen in the Rassian press, is undoubtedly respons ible for the spreading of the contagion, is the "tarbagiin," locally pronounced "terabsgho," snd is thos defined in Dictionary:—" Tarbaghn—Das Acis-tis che Marmelthier—Aziateki Sarok" (Asiatic Marmot).
It is interesting to note that " Mai melthier " also written " Marmel is corruption of the Latin moutanns " literally " mountain These animals are about the size of a fall grown cat, with yellowish brown far. All over the steppes of North Mongolia they exist in thousands, Mancharia lies on the edge of the great Mongolian plateau, which here slopes down to the foot of the Nerchinsk Mountains, and this town is a recognized centre for the export of the skins are exported in considerable quantities, chiefly to Europe, where they are used in the mannfactare of the cheap " faked" fars and for other purposes. The trappers are Chinese of the lowest to anyone travelling in North Mongolia The animals are very familiar obj
and are to be seen equating on their haunches at the mouths of their burrows, sometimes until one is within 8 few feet of them.
Lam, ote,, W. J. Staxtos Pyrza, Wahu, Jan, 21.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.