202 REPUTED POISONOUS FLY OF NEW CALEDONIA. 



by a blackish, line, and above by a small pale yellowish indistinctly 

 grey-marginal spot, faintly produced into cilia above apex ; a 

 minute round black apical dot ; cilia white, with a grey project- 

 ing line above apex, besides the lines in costal cilia. Hindwings 

 and cilia white. 



The absence of any oblique yellowish costal spot readily 

 separates this insect from the European species, which in othei 

 respects it closely resembles. 



Four specimens beaten from bush, at AVarragul in Gippsland, 

 Victoria, in September, and at about 2,000 feet up Mount 

 AYellington, Tasmania, early in February. 



Note on a reputed poisonous Fly of New Caledonia. 



By William Macleay, F.L.S., &c. 



Some weeks ago I received a communication from Mr. E. L. 

 Layard, C.M.G., II.B.M. Consul New Caledonia, on the subject 

 of a '* Fly," said to be destructive to human life in that Country. 

 Mv. Layard writes as follows : 



"After my arrival here my attention was early attracted by 

 several terrible deaths, said to be caused by a fly, which was 

 called the *'Mouche Charbonneuse " (poisonous or pestilential 

 fly.) I tried to find out what this fly could be, but received the 

 most contradictory answers to my enquiries. Some said it was a 

 ''Blow Fly," (''Blue Bottle "—or rather " 6'r^^w Bottle," for I 

 never saw a Bhie one here) — others, that it was a common house 

 fly ; others again said that it was a special species, but all agreed 

 that the deaths originated from the introduction into the blood 

 of the victim of putrid matter, upon which the fly had been feeding. 



" This opened another question : IIow was the poison intro- 

 duced into the human body ? Did the fly puncture the flesh, or 

 did it seek a wound, or abrasion through which to introduce it ? 



