In all, 28 koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), 26 of which had died exclusively of natural causes, were autopsied and in 21 of these a probable cause of death could be recognized. Different forms of pneumonia head the list of these causes with six cases, including two where the primary lesion was trauma. Hepatitis with suppurative cholangitis was observed in three instances. Cryptococcosis, an infection by the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans, was responsible for three deaths, and two forms of blood dyscrasia, i.e. lymphoblastic leukaemia, and an anaemia of unknown origin accounted for two more deaths. Cystic disease of the ovary was observed in six koalas, and in four cases was complicated by infection and was the main cause of death. Middle ear sepsis, ulcerative colitis, and cardiac failure associated with senility were seen once each. In the remaining seven cases the cause of death was indeterminate, though senility appeared to be the predisposing cause in two.

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Tn previous commuuicatious (BolHger, 1949, U)r)l; Bollij^er and Gross, 1!)51), it has been stated that the extradermal fur and hair of manmials ooutain varying amounts of water-soluble organic non-protein substances and certain inorganic compounds in addition to the insoluble keratin. Most of these observations were niatle on rahbit fur and the question arose whether similar deposition oceurs generally in vertebrate keratinous integnment and its appendages. To answer this question, the hair of 10 different species of mammals, the feathers of 5 species of birds and the shed keratinous skin of 11 species of snakes have been examined for uric acid, pentose, substances reducing before iind after hydrolysis, and phenols. Determinations of desoxyi'ibosc were also carried out in many instances and guanosinc was isolated from rabbit fur. METHODS. The prrparati'iit of aiiiicoiis extracts of keratinous material.ClipjH'd ftir, plufkpd feathers and c'Ut-ii]i slied smikc skin wcro l)oilorl for abotit 30 miiitites in n, Clinical flask. contniiiiuK siifBciciit wntpr to iireveut Borious btimpiug. Tlic aqiicoiiB extract wa.s (icciiiitcd !iiid filtt-rcd ami as much liquid as possiMe removed. Tliis process wsis iiauHlIy repeated five times or until no more colour reaction for uric acid or phenol could be obtained from the extract. The eombitied extracts were then concentrated to a couvenient volume either over a fliime or on a water bath in vacuo. Uric acid.Due to the higli phenol eoutent of certain types of keratinoua material, the direct application of the uric acid reagent of i 'oliii (1933) to the aqiiooUB extrHcts frequently leads to results which are definitely too high. In the "Indirect" method of Folin, uric acid is isolated in the form of ita silver salt prior to its determination (1934). Both methods, direct and indirect, were uBed in our investigation. Folin'a "indirect" method originally described for the determination of uric aeid in urine was adapted for the aqueous extracts of keratinoua material as follows:1 Working under a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Cotincil.