stations along the Canadian border, were S,697 cattle, 163,427 sheep, 3,751 horses, 25,115 hogs, 11 moose, 1 deer, 14 asses, 3 mules, 5 goats, 3 camels, and 4 dogs-a total of 201,031.

ZOOLOGICAL WORK.

Owing to changes in the personnel of the Division of Zoology, the work there has been considerably interrupted. The chief of the division was transferred to the United States Public Health and MarineHospital Service in August, but has since been appointed consulting zoologist in charge, thus having general supervision of the work. The assistant chief was transferred in November to the field force of this Bureau. It was not until June that these two vacancies were filled, and on this account scientific investigations were interrupted, while the regular routine work of correspondence, determination of specimens, cataloguing of literature, etc., was continued.

The Division of Zoology, United States Public Health and MarineHospital Service, has been quartered in the zoological laboratory of this Bureau during the fiscal year just ended, so that the two divisions were practically conducted as one, the scientific work being done by the Marine-Hospital men.

HOOKWORM DISEASE IN UNITED STATES.

The most important piece of work undertaken was the demonstration of the frequency of hookworm disease (uncinariasis) in man in the United States, an investigation which had been started while the chief of the Division of Zoology, Doctor Stiles, was still in this Bureau, and which he completed after his transfer. The fact that a new species of parasite ( Uncinaria americana), distinct from the Old World form (Agchylostoma duodenale), infests man in this country was first recognized by the Bureau of Animal Industry, and forms the basis of all the recent work upon the disease conducted in this country. It has now been shown that this disease is very prevalent in certain parts of the United States, especially among the farming classes of the sand districts of the Southern Atlantic States.

MEAT INSPECTION.

The inspection of cattle, sheep, calves, and hogs and their products was in operation at 155 abattoirs and packing houses in 49 cities. During the year inspection was started at 8 abattoirs, 3 of which are in 2 cities not before represented. Inspection had been withdrawn from, or business had been suspended at, 7 abattoirs before the end of the preceding year, thus lessening the number of cities by 2. There was a net increase of 1 abattoir over the previous year. Horses were inspected at 1 other abattoir.

The number of establishments and cities where meat inspection has been in operation since the work was begun is shown in the following table:

Establishments and cities where meat inspection was conducted, 1891 to 1903.

The following table shows the extent of the inspection of animals before they are slaughtered. The number of animals rejected on this inspection is also given. These animals are tagged and are held for further disposition; some are slaughtered immediately and are condemned or not according to their condition. Pregnant animals may be released to go to the country when there is no danger of spreading the contagion of any disease:

The number of hogs inspected antemortem for official abattoirs fell from 25,096,684 to 21,707,381. The number of cattle rose from 5,733,698 to 6,213,783. The number of sheep increased considerably, 8,401,300 being inspected, against 7,497,738 last year.

The inspection of animals at time of slaughter, with the number of carcasses and parts of carcasses condemned and tanked, is shown in the next table. The number of condemnations for trichinosis is given under the head of "Microscopic inspection of pork:"

In addition to the carcasses condemned as above, and to those condemned for trichinosis, the number tanked for other reasons is given in the table below. These were the carcasses of animals that had died in the cars or pens at abattoirs, or that died after inspection in the stock yards, or that were killed by city inspectors:

The total number of carcasses and parts condemned and tanked, with the causes of condemnation, and including the animals found dead and those killed by city inspectors, is shown in the following:

Causes of condemnation of carcasses and parts of carcasses, fiscal year 1903.

Causes of condemnation of carcasses and parts of carcasses, fiscal year 1903—Continued.

For the purpose of comparison, the number of animals inspected at time of slaughter for abattoirs having inspection, for the fiscal years 1891 to 1903, is given below:

Number of animals inspected at slaughter for abattoirs having inspection, fiscal years 1891

The meat-inspection tag or label was placed upon 21,124,318 quarters, 362,689 pieces, and 186 sacks of beef, 8,571,643 carcasses of sheep, 667,259 carcasses of calves, 880,945 carcasses of hogs, and 696,279 sacks of pork.

The meat-inspection stamp was affixed to packages of meat products that had received the ordinary inspection, as follows: 7,520,854 of beef, 59,314 of mutton, 14,601,202 of pork, and 70 of horseflesh-a total of 22,181,440.

The number of cars sealed, containing inspected meat products for shipment to official abattoirs and other places was 67,046.

The number of certificates of ordinary inspection issued for meat products for export, exclusive of horseflesh, was 30,152. Of beef there were 1,388,633 quarters, 20,422 pieces, 401 bags, and 1,352,291 packages, with a weight of 371,920,737 pounds; of mutton there were 35,394 carcasses and 22,527 packages, weighing 2,729,013 pounds; of pork there were 24,380 carcasses and 506,311 packages, weighing 133,122,610 pounds.

The decrease in the certified exports of beef and pork, noted in the last report, continued, the figures showing a decline from the last year of 45,070,025 pounds of beef, and 55,237,401 pounds of pork. The exports of mutton were nearly two and a half times as much as last year, when there were 1,145,248 pounds certified.

There was one shipment of horseflesh, 70 packages, weighing 28,000 pounds.

The following table shows for several years the amounts of beef,