534 JOORNA L, BOMB A Y NA TURA L HISTOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. XIX. 



\o protect his face, thus rendering only the back of his head and neck vulnerable 

 to their stings. Four settled on the scalp and neck inflicting stings, -which 

 smarted pretty severely, but not so much as to prevent his continuing shooting 

 in a few minutes. 



In about ten minutes' time he suddenly felt queer, handed his gun to his 

 orderly and tried to speak but could not, though he made strenuous efforts to 

 ■ call out. He then fainted away. Major E., his companion, came to his assisi- 

 "anoe, and found his face livid, eyes bloodshot, and his nose and ears blue. 

 His hands were cold and blanched and he could not find his pulse. On regain- 

 ing semi-consciousness he complained that he could not see. A state of semi- 

 consciousness lasted for about half an hour. On fully regaining consciousness 

 he complained of intolerant itching all over the body, and Major E. then dis- 

 covered he had a rash all over the abdomen. He then vomited. After a few 

 minutes he walked to camp with assistance. Severe diarrhoea set in at about 

 7 p.m. and lasted all night and he vomited again in the night. He noticed 

 too that his penis and scrotum were considerably swollen but not painful. 

 The next morning he felt well enough to continue shooting and had rio 

 recurrence of untoward symptoms. 



The paharis who were beating recommended lime-juice for the stings, and 

 procured limes from a neighbouring village. Major E. squeezed and rubbed the 

 juice into the wounds which he says were visible as pink, shiny, small, round 

 areas, not in the least swollen. He gave whisky internally, and covered him 

 warmly. The case is a very interesting one. The rapidity with which the 

 symptoms set in, and the profound prostration of the sufferer show that these 

 insects secrete a most virulent poison when they sting. 



The poison appears to me to have operated in two ways. Firstly upon the 

 nervous system, and the full force of the neurotoxic agent appears to have 

 fallen upon the heart. 



There appears, too, to have been a toxic influence reducing the coagulab- 

 ility of the- blood, hence the rash which was probably a nettle rash, and the 

 oedema of the genitals. The only other possible solution of the blood state, 

 is by assuming an absorption of citric acid from the lemon juice applied 

 locally. There seems little doubt that had one or two more stings been 

 inflicted the case would have ended fatally. 



F. WALL, c.M,z.s., 

 Major, i.m.s. 

 Almora, ID^Z* Decemher 1008. 



'I 



Xo. XXI.— THE BLOOD-SUCKING PROPENSITIES OF A 

 BUG (NABIS CAPSIFORMIS). 



While sitting outside one evening, about nine o'clock, in the middle of 

 April, my attention was attracted by a sharp prick on the back of one 

 of my hands. On looking. I saw a small bug busily employed with its proboscis 



