REPOKT OF THE ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION 97 



blood or by other means, are responsible for, or aid in, the spread of diseases among 

 man and animals. A number of species of blood-sucking flies, hitherto unrecorded, from 

 the Anglo-Egj-ptian Sudan, has been taken during the past two years, among them 

 being several species new to science, while the distributions of others have been proved 

 to be wider than was originally known. The new species have been, or are being, 

 described by Mr. E. E. Austen, the well known authority on blood-sucking Diptera. As 

 far as possible, all those species which have not previously been figured either in the '^'^"' 

 Eeports of these Laboratories or in Austen's African Blood- sucking Flies, published by fije^ 

 the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) in 1909, are shown in the accompanying plates, as it 

 is thought that an accurate coloured drawing of a fly is of infinitely greater value for 

 purposes of identification — at any rate to the untrained observer — than a detailed technical 

 description. A list is given of all the species of blood-sucking flies — other than mosquitoes 

 — which are recorded from the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, together with, as far as possible, 

 the localities in which they have been taken. 



Several species of ticks have also been added to the list of those occurring in this Ticks 

 country, and a synoptic table has been drawn up which it is hoped will be of some aid 

 to collectors. Living specimens of Ornithodoros savignyi have been sent to the London 

 School of Tropical Medicine and to Prof. S. Euge of Kiel for experimental purposes, and 

 a small but excellent collection of cattle and other ticks has been received from 

 Dr. Dschunkowsky of the Zoornabat Anti-Einderpest Station in Transcaucasia. 

 A collection of blood-sucking insects and ticks has also been very kindly presented to tlie 

 laboratories by the Governor of Portuguese East Africa. 



As many of the inspectors, and other officials stationed in the provinces, expressed 

 their willingness to collect insects if they could be furnished with the means of preserving 

 them, two gross of wooden postal blocks, 7 X I5 X Ij inches, were purchased in 1908. 

 Each of these blocks held two glass tubes, 2:| X ^ inches, in one of which was placed 

 alcohol and in the other entomological pins of various sizes, for pinned dry specimens. 

 Directions for the collection and preservation of blood-sucking insects and ticks were drawn 

 up, and printed in English and Arabic, and a copy of these directions sent with several 

 postal blocks to anyone known to be willing to collect. It was found that while these 

 postal blocks were excellent for the preservation of ticks, fleas, and other specimens in 

 alcohol, the tubes were too small to take the larger blood-sucking flies, so, in consequence of 

 this, a gross of postal blocks, 6J x 2^ x 2^ inches, each containing two tubes, 2x2 inches, Postal blocks 

 was liought this year. These are intended for pinned dry specimens, and both tubes in ^""^ preserving 

 the smaller blocks are now filled with alcohol. To ensure that everyone is asked to forwarding 

 collect, a number of parcels, each containing one large block and two small ones, with '"^'^■^'^ 

 a copy of the directions, has been sent to each of the Governors of the various provinces, 

 with a request that he will distribute them among the officials in his province. Similar 

 parcels have been sent to most of the Medical Ofiicers of the Egyptian Army. It may- 

 give some idea of the spirit which animates those working in this country, when it is 

 stated that no one who has been asked to collect has refused, while many have taken 

 very considerable trouble in obtaining specimens which they conceived to be of interest. 

 Eeports have been issued on some two hundred and twenty-five specimens i-eceived in these 

 postal blocks. 



In consequence of a suggestion made by the Governor of Mongalla Province, that the 

 fish irimrdinns poscilloides, popularly known as "Millions," which has proved to be of 

 value in the control of mosquitoes in Barbados and elsewhere, should be introduced 

 into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, an effort has been made to ascertain whether any of our 



