1S02.J 9 



ox A TOAD KILLED BY THE LARY^E OF BLOW-FLIES. 

 BY LEOI^-AED G. GTJTHEIE, M.A., M.B., B.CH. OXON., M.R.C.P , L0ND01S-. 



It has long been known that the nostrils and eyes of toads are 

 subject to attack by the larvsB o£ flies, which rapidly devour the soft 

 parts of the head until they destroy the life of the Batrachians. 



In 1880, Dr. T. S. Cobbold published in the "Veterinarian" the 

 account of a case of this sort. Dr. McMunn, of Wolverhampton, had 

 sent him the specimens, but Dr. Cobbold was away, and on returning 

 home found only the skeleton of the toad, and no trace of the larv^ 

 which had destroyed its life. So the opportunities of studying and 

 identifying the larvae was lost. 



The following account of a similar case may, therefore, be of 

 interest :— At mid-day on August 23rd, 1891, 1 found a toad in a lane 

 in Surrey. The animal w^as fairly nourished but sluggish in its move- 

 ments ; the usually active respiratory movements of the throat were 

 slow and feeble ; the tip of the nose was moist and darkly discoloured ; 

 the nostrils were ragged and slightly enlarged, and emitted a frothy 

 discharge, within them could be indistinctly seen a mass of larvae in 

 active movement. 



At 11 p.m., the animal avoided the light, hid its head in the corner 

 of the box, and croaked feebly w^hen disturbed. The nostrils were as 

 large as small peas ; the larvae could be much more easily seen, closely 

 packed together, and wath their blunt tails showing externally ; now 

 and then one would disengage itself from the rest and wander over 

 the head of its host in search of pastures new ; the eyes were semi- 

 closed, but still prominent. 



At 9.30 p.m. on the 24th, the nostrils were much larger, and the 

 left eye had collapsed; at 1.30, both eyes collapsed; the nostrils formed 

 one large cavity, divided only by a thread-like septum of skin an- 

 teriorly ; almost the whole of the soft palate was eaten away, leaving 

 the bones bare, and the empty tunics of the eyes in the cavity of the 

 mouth. The skin on the vertex was bulging and heaving owing to the 

 mass of larvae engaged beneath. 



At 7 p.m., the larvae had retreated to the back of the pharynx, and 

 the toad died, its last act being to gulp down as many of its guests as 

 possible. 



After death, I placed the toad in spirits, when between three and 

 four dozen larvae came swarming out from the nostrils and orbits, and 

 remained alive in the spirit for several hours. 



Some, which I had removed during the life of the toad, I attempted 



