444 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



particularly wild pig — and indulge frequently in native liquor. 

 They assert this is necessary as a protection from the effects of 

 the climate. They cultivate the land close to their villages, and, 

 on the whole, pass happy, contented lives. The Taru children 

 appear to enjoy as good health as their parents. 



The soil of the Tarai is productive and rent inconsider- 

 able ; there are, therefore, many inducements to cultivators 

 from the densely populated tracts at a distance from the hills 

 to emigrate to the Tarai and occupy portions of the untenanted 

 lands. This goes on intermittently, and, as well as I can re- 

 member, the loss of life is between 70 to 80 per cent. In any 

 case it is very large indeed. The Government officials who ad- 

 ministrate the Tarai cannot reside there throughout the year 

 without certain loss of health, if not worse. Even during the 

 cold weather it is necessary to take quinine and live carefully. 

 It has been found that very minute daily doses of quinine 

 taken for some weeks before entering the mahirious tracts, and 

 continued throughout the stay there, is practically a complete 

 protection against the results of infection. In one instance, out 

 of a party of about one hundred persons — European and native — 

 who passed some six months in the Tarai, only one man was 

 affected, and this was the one man of the party who had not 

 been given the preliminary treatment. 



These latter points are somewhat wide of the question of 

 naturally acquired immunity, but may be interesting with refer- 

 ence to malarial infection generally. 



Mr. C. D. Soar stated that the "harvest-mites" were the 

 larvae of a so far undetermined species, probably a Trornhidium, 

 and that it was quite possible that they belonged to more than 

 one species. 



In reply to a question by the President concerning the occur- 

 rence of large numbers of fleas in deserted houses, where they 

 could not obtain their natural food, Mr, Martin Duncan said that 

 fleas that had never tasted blood seemed to be able to live a much 

 longer time than those which had. 



A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Martin Duncan 

 for his address. 



At the 535th Ordinary Meeting of the Club, held on June llth, 

 1918, the President, Dr. A. B. Ilendle, M.A., F.R.S., F.L.S., in 



