76 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 



sense-organ was of importance; the work will be resumed 

 at a later date. 



(c) Ticks. Ornithodorus savignyi, a possible disease- 

 carrier, is under observation. 



(d) Mosquitos. A Taeniorhynchus and Culex gelidus 

 have had their life-histories determined. Both are ex- 

 tremely troublesome to cattle, and C. gelidus breeds 

 normally or very frequently in cow's urine. 



The breeding-places of mosquitos in Pusa were care- 

 fully mapped in March, and some time later the Director 

 gave facilities for an anti-mosquito campaign on " control- 

 breeding " lines. This has been successfully carried on and 

 I hope that my absence on leave may have no appreciable 

 effect on the success of an experiment which opened auspi- 

 ciously. 



With a view to determining the influence of local waters 

 on mosquito-breeding, experiments were made on the effect 

 of equimolecular salt solutions on the larvse. The results 

 were of interest as indicating that an unexpectedly high 

 percentage of lime in water is to some species distinctly 

 beneficial. 



(<?) Fruit flies. The Ber fly, Carpomyia vesuviana, and 

 its parasites were under observation for the year, and the 

 life-history of Uncus longistylus was worked out. An 

 attempt to check a very severe infestation of peaches by 

 D. zonatus at Lahore failed completely, the attack having 

 gone too far to save the crop. Spraying operations must 

 be started as soon as peaches are just on the point of be- 

 coming ripe. 



(/) Other Diptera. Rice in the Balasore district was 

 seriously affected by Cecidomyia oryzoe and other insects. 

 I investigated the part played by Cecidomyia; but found 

 that the greater damage was being done by non- dipterous 

 insects, mainly the Rice Hopper, and Mr. Fletcher thereupon 

 took over the work. The life-history of three horse-flies 

 (Tabanidce) has been worked out, as also that of the very 



