Summary The activity patterns of six species of captive elephant shrews {Elephantulus (four species), Macroscelides and Petrodromus) were monitored electronically for periods of 48 h. Individual animals showed some significant differences in activity from one day to the next but generally followed the same pattern of diel activity. Intraspecific differences were observed in eight Elephantulus edwardii and seven Elephantulus myurus but all had a similar overall pattern of activity apart from a possibly diseased E. edwardii and two E. myurus, which had previously been exposed to a high level of human disturbance, and which showed increased nocturnal activity. All species were active, to varying degrees, both day and night. Interspecific differences in activity exhibited a continuum, with different species showing differing periods of peak activity. Differences in the nocturnal/diurnal ratio may be related to the amount of cover in the habitat and the degree of aridity experienced by each species. Significant seasonal differences in activity were noted in two species where sample sizes were adequate to permit their detection. Résumé On a surveilléélectroniquement le schéma d'activité de six espéces de rats à trompe en captivité par tranche de 48 h. Individuellement, les animaux présentent quelques différences significatives d'un jour à l'autre mais suivent généralement le même schéma d'activité. Des différences intraspécifiques furent observées chez huit Elephantulus edwardii et sept E. myurus mais tous avaient un schéma d'activités globalement similaire, aF l'exception d'un E. edwardii, peut‐être malade, et de deux E. myurus qui avaient ete auparavant soumis à de grands dérangements, et qui montraient un accroissement de l'activité nocturne. Toutes les espèces étaient actives, à des degrés divers, jour et nuit. Les différences interspécifiques étaient permanentes, les espèces présentant des périodes d'activité maximales diffeareés. Les différences du rapport diurne/nocturne peuvent être mises en relation avec le degré de couvertre de l'habitat et le degré d'aridité aux quels est soumise chaque espèce. On a noté des différences d'activité saisonnières significatives chez deux espèces dont la taille de l'echantillon permettait de les détecter.

Twenty-nine Angora goats were used in a trial of a commercial enterotoxaemia (pulpy kidney disease) vaccine. The animals were allocated to four groups, of which three received an initial dose of vaccine, two also received a booster of the same vaccine either 28 or 42 days after the first vaccination, and the fourth remained as an unvaccinated control group. An indirect ELISA technique was used to measure the titres of Clostridium perfringens type D epsilon antitoxin in serum samples taken before vaccination and 17, 28, 42, 59, 70, 86, 98 and 128 days after vaccination. There was a wide range of antibody titres after vaccination, and the great majority of the vaccinated animals had titres below the protective level, arbitrarily set at 0.25 iu/ml, by day 98.

Both dose rates suppressed testicular function. Data showed that the vaccine effects were reversible. Individual immune response was less varied in the 200 mg group. Further work is necessary to achieve a less variable response in the immunosuppression of testicular function.

Three replicates of three group sizes (six, 18 and 36) of grower pigs were housed with the same space allocation (0-66 m 2 per pig), feeding and drinking space per animal. The animals were mixed and kept together for a period of 22 days. They were given food ad libitum, were weighed weekly and a record kept of the group food intake for the 22-day period. Weight at mixing had a significant effect on weight gains during the 1st week. There was a significant interaction between group size and replicates for weight gains; generally weight gains were lowest in the group size of 36 animals during the first 2 weeks, but in the 3rd week there was no difference between the group sizes. Sex had no effect on weight gains. The variation in weights between group members were significantly greater in the group size of 36 than in the group sizes of six and 18 at the start of the trial, but at the end of the trial there was no difference in the variances of weights in the three group sizes. There was no difference between the group sizes in the variances of the weight gains. There was a significant positive correlation (/• = +0-36) between weight at mixing and weight gain for the group size of 18. Group size had no effect on food intake, but the food conversion efficiency of the animals in the group size of 36 was significantly poorer than in the group sizes of six and 18.

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