1985. Surplus killing as exemplified by wolf predation on newborn caribou. Can. J. Zool. 63: 295-300. We searched for newborn calf carcasses of migratory barren-ground caribou (Rrrngifer tarrrndus groen1andic~u.s) in June 1982 in the Northwest Territories. On 17 June, we found 34 calves killed by wolves (Crrnis lupus), clumped in a 3-km' area. The calves had been killed apparently within minutes of each other and about 24 h before being found. Wolves had not fed on 17 of the carcasses and had only partially eaten the other 17. Ground observations illustrate the speed of and efficiency with which wolves can kill calves: a single wolf killed three calves on one occasion and three and possibly four calves on a second occasion at average kill rates of 1 calf/min, and I calf/8 min or I calf/6 min between the first and last deaths. We attributed the surplus killing of newborn caribou calves to their high densities and their vulnerability on the calving grounds. We recommend that a distinction be made between "surplus killing" and "excessive killing" by predators. MILLER, F. L., A. GUNN et E. BROUCHTON. 1985. Surplus killing as exemplified by wolf predation on newborn caribou. Can. J. Zool. 63: 295-300. Nous avons procedd 2 la recherche de carcasses de nouveau-nes de caribous (R~rngifer trrrrrndus groen1andic.u.s) migrateurs dans la toundra, dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest. en juin 1982. Le 17 juin, nous avons trouve 34 nouveau-nes tues par les loups (Crrnis lupus) regroupes sur une surface de 3 km'. Les petits semblaient avoir tous ete tues a intervalles de quelques minutes et environ 24 h avant d'Ctre trouvds. Dix-sept des carcasses dtaient intactes et Ics 17 autres n'avaient ete que partiellement mangees. L'observation des pistes a permis de determiner la vitesse A laquelle les petits caribous avaient ete tuCs et avec quelle efficacite: un seul loup avait tue trois caribous en une fois, a raison de I petit/min en moyenne. et 3 ou peut-Ctre mCme quatre caribous une autre fois, a raison de 1 petit/8 min ou de I petit/6 min en moyenne. La destruction de nouveau-nis en surplus est sans doute attribuable leur densite elevec et A leur vulnerabiliti dans les territoires de reproduction. I1 faudrait dorenavant faire la distinction entre "destruction des surplus" et "destruction excessive" par les prkdateurs. [Traduit par le journal]

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to analyse transferrin variation in caribou from the Canadian Arctic islands. Sixteen alleles were detected in Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi). The most common allele was TfG2, which increased in frequency from 0.167 at the Boothia Peninsula to 0.236 in the Peel population and 0.340 in the Parry population. The presence of this allele, which is the most common allele in Svalbard reindeer (R. t. platyrhynchus) and not detected in Norwegian reindeer (R. t. tarandus), suggests a common origin for the Peary caribou and the Svalbard reindeer. The large genetic distance in the transferrin locus between continental and island populations suggests the isolation of a High Arctic population in a northern refugium during the Wisconsin glaciation.

In St. Lawrence River marshes, fatal sporadic and epizootic typhlitis in breeding populations of black ducks, Anas rubripes; blue-winged teal, A. discors; and migrant green-winged teal, A. carolinensis, is attributed to Cyathocotyle bushiensis Khan, 1962. This is the first report of C. bushiensis in natural definitive hosts, and the first record of the genus Cyathocotyle in North America. Pathogenicity of C. bushiensis was confirmed experimentally by using metacercariae from the most abundant local gastropod, Bythinia tentaculata, to produce cyathocotyliasis in Pekin ducklings.

Serum samples collected from 2,365 free-roaming hybrid bison (Bison bison bison x Bison bison at ha bascae) in Wood Buffalo National Park and adjacent areas in the Northwest Territories were tested for brucellosis during the period 1959 to 1974. A positive reaction was obtained in 739(31.2%) of the animals tested. The overall effect of brucellosis on this free-roaming bison population is unknown. The authors also dealt with some of the actual and possible consequences of the disease in this population.

Serum samples from 1692 reindeer slaughtered in the Mackenzie River Delta in the last decade and from 320 Kaminuriak barren-ground caribou killed between June 1966 and July 1968 were tested for brucellosis. All sera yielding titers of 1:25 or higher were considered to be positive. A positive reaction was obtained in 148 of the 1692 reindeer and 14 of the 320 barren-ground caribou tested, giving an overall reactor percentage of 8.74 in reindeer and 4.37 in caribou.Orchitis, epididymitis, bursitis, metritis, abortion, and placental retention—conditions associated with brucellosis in reindeer in the U.S.S.R. and caribou in Alaska—were not noted in the autopsy of the 1692 reindeer and of 500 sexually mature barren-ground caribou. Three possible records of bursitis, of unknown nature, in barren-ground caribou are discussed. Seemingly, brucellosis does not represent a serious threat to either the Mackenzie River Delta reindeer or the Kaminuriak barren-ground caribou population, but its detection in these animal populations is of interest from a public health standpoint.