OF WASHINGTON. 3 



The fly issued on September 18. The species is evidently 

 common, the number of small birds affected in that locality 

 amounting to nearly 90 per cent, but the injury is not neces 

 sarily fatal and old birds often showed the shriveled up 

 larval sac, indicating infestation in earlier life. 



Mr. Busck spoke also on the presence in Trinidad of the 

 bot-fly that attacks human beings. He stated that many of 

 the coolies are infested with these larvae. 



Mr. Barrett spoke of an experience he had had with this 

 bot-fly while in Mexico, and has since furnished the following 

 abstract of his remarks : 



NOTES ON THE MAN-INFESTING EOT IN MEXICO. 



By O. W. BARRETT. 



[Author's Abstract.] 



Regarding his experience with the so-called Dermatobia 

 hominis, the writer would say that he personally knew of its 

 wide occurrence in the Tuxtla district of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 

 a locality about seventy-five miles southeast of the city of 

 Vera Cruz ; it was in the year 1897 when he visited that sec 

 tion and " took the notes." 



There are at least three theories for the entrance of the 

 larva beneath the skin. The one that seems most probable is 

 that the newly-hatched grub can crawl some little distance 

 before beginning to burrow. The first symptoms of the 

 attack are intense itching and burning at the mouth of the 

 burrow, which is greatly swollen and reddened. At about 

 the second week of the existence of the larva inside the burrow 

 sharp pains are felt as if nerves were being severed. At the 

 second week, also, begins a slight exudation of serum. At 

 tempts to dislocate the larva by physical means are unavailing 

 on account of the retroverted setae along the slender caudal 

 portion of the insect. The burrow eventually becomes of 

 some i o to 20 millimeters in depth, with an opening of i to 2 

 millimeters. The larva is of a dead white color, with dark 

 brown or blackish setae. 



Badly parasitized individuals are likely to suffer from the 

 septic effects of larvae crushed within the burrows, and of 

 course the pain and worry have a bad psychological effect. 



The smothering method of killing the larva is one of the 

 most convenient and successful; fresh "chicle" (Achras 



