OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XIV, 1912. 11 



cused a note on the technique of removing such a larva from 

 a suffering host. There is no need of knife and bloodshed; 

 at any time of its life the larva may be easily removed simply 

 by pressure, after the aperture has been softened and some- 

 what enlarged by insertion of a pair of thin forceps; but 

 the shape of the larva should be kept in mind; its thin anal 

 end lies toward the surface of the skin and the swelled bottle- 

 shaped part is downwards; hence it is necessary to apply the 

 pressure well below the swelled part or it will only tend to 

 force the larva further down. 



Mr. Knab spoke of the widespread and common occurrence 

 of Dermatobia throughout tropical America and of the Mex- 

 ican and Central American records in numerous papers that 

 have appeared on the subject. Several different species have 

 been thought to exist, but it now appears that they are all one. 

 Both Aldrich and Coquillett seem to have been skeptical of 

 the occurrence of Dermatobia north of Panama, or unable to 

 cope with an insect usually observed only in the larval stages. 

 Mr. Busck said that in Trinidad the larvae commonly infested 

 the head, but this was not so in Panama. Mr. Knab said 

 there are no actual observations on the mode of oviposition. 

 The several stages of the larvae differ and were at one time 

 considered different forms. In tropical Africa a muscid para- 

 site of man ( Cordylobia) lives under the skin in the same way. 

 It was supposed that the eggs were deposited directly on the 

 exposed skin, as persons bathing became most frequently in- 

 fested. Recently von Pelser-Berensberg determined that the 

 eggs are not deposited directly upon the skin but on the 

 clothing and do not hatch until two days later. Mr. Hammar 

 said that while in South America he had been infested with 

 Dermatobia several times. There appeared to be two kinds 

 of larvae, black and white. The natives believe the eggs are 

 laid on the foliage. He had found young larvae crawling on 

 the skin before entering. Mr. Crawford spoke of the finding 

 of a cast skin in the burrow with the maggot which he was 

 having cut out in Costa Rica. Mr. Schwarx spoke of Dr. 

 LeConte's observations and method of extraction as published 

 in his edition of Say's entomolgical writings. Mr. Hammar 

 said the native remedy was to tie chewed tobacco over the hole. 

 Mr. Knab stated that the larva does not penetrate below the 

 connective tissue. 



