INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1916-17 91 



REPORT OF THE IMPERIAL PATHOLOGICAL 



ENTOMOLOGIST. 



(T. Bainbrigge Fletcher, R.N., F.L.S, F.E.S, F.Z.S.) ' 



I. Charge and Establishment. 



I was in charge of this section in addition to my own 

 duties as Imperial Entomologist, during the whole year 

 (1st July, 1916, to 30th June, 1917). 



Messrs. Patel and Sharma, Entomological Assistants, 

 were absent from 5th July to 5th November, 1916, on mili- 

 tary duty, being employed on Fly Control work in Meso- 

 potamia. 



Mr. P. G. Patel was absent on privilege leave from 10th 

 March to 5th April, 1917, and Mr. S. K. Sen from 12th 

 October to 23rd December, 1916. 



Tours. Messrs. Sharma and Sen visited Calcutta in 

 December and April respectively, to take down specimens 

 of. Diptera to be named up by Mr, Brunetti, who has been 

 employed during the year on the identification of the Pusa 

 collection of this Order. 



II. Work done. Disease-carrying insects. 



Saprozoic Flies. 



The observations, commenced three years ago by 

 Messrs. Howlett and Patel, on the attraction exercised on 

 flesh flies and other insects by dead animal matter in 

 different stages of putrefaction have been continued and 

 the observations up to date are partially summarized below. 



Pycnosoma flaviceps. Flies of this species are most 

 strongly attracted to putrefying meat or dead animals. 

 The life-cycle from egg to egg is about 38 days. Like 

 Sarcophaga this fly is capable of infecting meat by drop- 

 ping its eggs through wire gauze. These flies have lately 



G 



