56 DRAGON FLIES VS. MOSQUITOES. 



An occasional fly gets into the human nose or ear (La- 

 boiilbene^^); but this is so infrequent as to indicate that 

 it is probably as much a surprise to the fly as to the 

 victim. 



Maddox^^ finds that if a bit of sugar well saturated 

 with a bacilliated fluid, is placed in the reach of flies, 

 they will partake of it, and be attacked with violent de- 

 jections, in which bacilli will be found in motion. 



Anthrax rods, Bacillus anthracis, ^vere also taken up 

 in the same May. Balbiani^ and Forbes^'' have each 

 written of the flies' susceptibility to inoculation by bacilli. 

 Schoch 1^ and Taschenberg have treated of these insects 

 as the cause of malarious diseases. 



AVilliams^''^ queries whether it is not better to bear these 

 evils than to run the risks incident to their removal. 



Riley ^^^ shows how easy it is to mistake a useful scav- 

 enger for a harmful parasite. 



Tlie sudden appearance in new localities, and the in- 

 jurious habits assumed by certain species, are illustrated 

 by Riley and Howard ^^^ in the case of tlie horn fly ; the 

 mosquito, " Science " 1^2 . ^nd the buffalo gnat, Buck.^*' 



Brauer^ treats of CEstrus, and its attacks on man, 

 bibliographically ; Jacobs ^^ also writes of these insects. 



Diptera have frequently been cast up by vomiting. 

 Laboulbene,*^*^ Packard. ^^^ 



Spicer ^^^ has published and illustrated interesting ma- 

 terial on human flesh-eatino^ flies. 



The foregoing, but a brief indication of what has been 

 written, will give the reader an insight into this most in- 

 teresting phase of medico entomological research. A full 

 bibliography of the subject will be found in the Catalogue 

 of the Library of the United States Surgeon-General. 



