April, '19] PARMAN: PHLEBOTOMUS ATTACKING MAN 211 



to points east and west approximately 9^, 11, 13, 15 and 17 miles, two 

 traps to the north 13 and 17 miles, and two traps to the south 8 and 10 

 miles from point of release. A trap was also placed about 7 miles east 

 of south and another about 10 miles south of west of the point of hbera- 

 tion. About 80,000 flies were released in this test. The greatest 

 distance from the point of liberation at which marked flies were recov- 

 ered was: House-flies, 13 miles; screw-worm flies, 15 miles; Phormia 

 regina, 11 miles and Ophyra leucostoma, 7 miles. 



It is believed that the following of vehicles by flies in these experi- 

 ments was unimportant. In general the experiments suggested that 

 there is a natural tendency toward dispersion exhibited by both sexes 

 of all species used in the tests. Many Apparently favorable feeding 

 and breeding places were passed in the course of migration. The 

 relationship between direction of travel and the direction of the wind 

 appeared not to be very close. 



The many practical bearings of the question of distance and rapidity 

 of travel of flies cannot be discussed here, but are apparent to all. 



It might be pointed out that this is the first series of experiments in 

 which flight studies have been made wdth flies other than Musca 

 domestica. 



NOTES ON PHLEBOTOMUS SPECIES ATTACKING MAN^ 

 By D. C. Parman, Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture 



Observations have been made on Phlebotomus sp.^ attacking human 

 beings at Uvalde, Texas, during the months of September, October and 

 November since 1915. The writer has been located at Uvalde since 

 October, 1913, but the species was not observed until the fall of 1915. 

 It is quite possible that the insect was present before that season and 

 may be native in the region, but the people generally spoke of it as 

 "the new musciuito or bug that bites so hard." Considerable com- 

 plaint was received during the fall of 1915 from residents of the higher 

 parts of the town. My first experience with the bite was during the 

 latter part of October. I was at a table under an electric light and was 

 bitten on the face by what was evidentl}' a Phlebotonms. Specimens 

 were taken later and so identified. 



Heretofore no records of the occurrence of Phlebotomus in the South- 

 west have been made and there are no published statements regarding 

 the attack upon man by Phlebotomus vexator Coq., the only species of 

 this genus known to occur in the United States. The occurrence of 



1 Publinhcil with the pcnnisHion of the chief of the Bureau of Entomology. 

 ' A dctcrriiiimtion of the species conceriued has not been secured. 



