10 PROCEEDINGS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



shoulder blade, whereto the larva must have dropped or 

 crawled from the neck. All my other infestations occurred 

 on places which were exposed at the time. 



The natives believe the swellings on their legs are caused 

 by their wading across streams, at which time of course the 

 fly has a good opportunity to oviposit. 



To any observing person the infestation is noticeable from 

 the very beginning, and the irritation is easily distinguished 

 from the abundant mosquito and tick bites with which one is 

 inflicted when "in the bush." 



Within a week can be seen with the naked eye the charac- 

 teristic, moist aperture in the skin through which the larva 

 pushes and withdraws its anal end for breathing. 



The larva, even when large, does not cause much pain if not 

 interfered with, though it has the habit at times of rotating 

 around its own axis with telling effect on the host's feelings. 



On the whole, however, the inconvenience is greater than 

 the pain, the constantly exuding faeces of the larva necessita- 

 ting a bandage so as not to soil underclothing and bed linen. 

 Towards maturity the larva gradually enlarges the aperture 

 in the skin and its final egress is more relief than pain. 



But I am inclined to ascribe to the larva a more serious effect 

 on its host. During no period of my entire adult life have I 

 required as much sleep as during the months of infestation with 

 this parasite; from 3 to 5 hours were almost daily regretfully 

 added to my normal sleeping hours and during the day I felt 

 less alert and energetic than is my wont. This was the more 

 noticeable to myself and to my nearest associates, because I for 

 more than twenty years have been in the habit of indulging in 

 a minimum of sleep. When the larva had left my arm this 

 desire for sleep stopped and I was able to return to my normal 

 habits. 



I am well aware that the evidence of this single experience 

 is not sufficient to establish the guilt of the larva; other causes 

 not perceived by me may have produced my condition, but I 

 wish to record my belief that the Dermatobia larva was the 

 cause. Is it not possible that these larvae produce some virus 

 which has a quieting effect on the host? Ability to quiet the 

 host during incubation would be a distinct advantage to the 

 species. 



During his stay in Panama the writer observed what is now 

 known to be the same species in monkey and dog. 



Having been the victim of a pretentious surgical operation, 

 with subsequent stitches and bandages, which was thought 

 necessary to remove a half-grown larva in my back, which I 

 could not myself reach around and attend to, I may be ex- 



