180 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol, XV III. 



a reference to those in spirit, so that the latter may be identified. The tubes 

 containing the specimens should preferably be placed for transmission inside 

 a larger bottle of spirit ; if this be done, it is only necessary to secure the 

 mouth of each tube by tying muslin over it. Cotton-wool, or, better still, 

 horse-hair or shavings, should be inserted as packing between and especially on 

 the top of the tubes. 



Larvae. 

 Specimens of larva? will always be valuable whenever it is possible to breed 

 out some of them so as to determine the fly to which they belong. Unless, 

 however, the perfect insect is known, it is rarely possible to do more than 

 to determine the family or genus to which a larva belongs. Larva? for pre- 

 servation should be killed by immersion for a moment or two in boiling water, 

 and should then be placed in weak spirit (two-thirds spirit and one-third 

 water) ; after being allowed to remain in this for two or three weeks until 

 thoroughly hardened, they can be transferred to stronger spirits. The larvae of 

 each species must of course be kept separate, and should be put up in a small 

 corked glass tube full of spirit, the necessary particulars, with, if possible, a 

 reference to pinned specimens of the perfect insect, being written in pencil on 

 a scrap of paper and placed inside. The tubes should be packed for trans- 

 mission inside a larger bottle of spirit, as described at the end of the previous 

 paragraph. 



Notes on Habits, etc. 

 Comparatively little is yet known as to the bionomics Of ^lood-sucking 

 Diptera in general, so that notes on the habits), distribution, seasonal occurrence, 

 relative frequency, etc., of particular species will always be of great value and 

 interest. Clinical observations as to the effect of the bites of the various 

 species on man and domestic animals are also required. 



PART III. 

 Fleas, 'Bugs, and Ticks. 

 Fleas, bugs, and ticks are wanted in addition to Blood-sucking Diptera. 

 These creatures, however, must not be pinned, but should be preserved and 

 sent home in alcohol, by the same method as that recommended for Diptera 

 (see page 179 ). To contain the specimens it is best to use small corked 

 glass tubes, which should be carefully packed in cotton-wool in a strong 

 wooden or metal box for transmission to England. A plug of soft paper 

 should be placed on the top of the specimens in each tube, to prevent injury 

 from shaking or washing about, and there should also be inserted in the tube a 

 slip of paper bearing the necessary data written in pencil. Specimens of 

 different species should of course be put up in separate tubes. 

 Britisu Museum (Natural History), 



Cromwell Koad, 

 January 16th, 1907. London, S. W. 



(Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum (Natural 

 History.") 



