112 Second Repovt on Economic Zoology. 



G R U P D. 



Animals which concern Man as causing bodily injury, some- 

 times death, to him, and in other cases disease, often of a 

 deadly character. 



The Natal Maggot Fly. 



( Beiujalia dcjjresm ) . 



The follo\\'iiig iuformatioii has been received from Mr. F. P. 

 Mennell, of the Rhodesian Museum, Buluwayo : — 



" Like so many other undesirable insects, Be/nyalia deprcssa seems 

 to have its headquarters in Rhodesia, and its attacks have lately 

 attracted considerable attention. It also ranges into British Central 

 Africa and Uganda. Round Buluwayo, 4500 feet above sea level 

 and 400 miles from the nearest point on the coast, it is common and 

 has a special native name which I cannot at the moment put my 

 hands on, while at Salisbury (5000 feet) it is an even more serious 

 nuisance." 



Particulars regarding this noxious fly may be found in the 

 Proceedings of the Rhodesia Scientific Association, vol. iv., pt. i., 

 pp 7_9. The fly attacks dogs and other animals, but its attacks on 

 man are frequent, children, especially infants, being usually the 

 sufferers. The fly deposits its eggs in the hair or the clothing, the 

 latter being apparently often selected when hanging out to dry, so 

 much so that in certain parts of tropical Africa it is dangerous to 

 wear woollen clothing next the skin. 



The eggs appear to hatch out almost immecUately and the larvj© 

 then bury themselves under the skin, where they give rise first to 

 swellings and then to inflammation, which become so painful, owing 

 to the movements and excreta of the creatures, as to throw the 

 patient into a violent fever. I believe that, if undisturbed, the 

 larvae emerge in the course of about a fortnight and that pupation 

 takes place on the ground. The fly itself is very sluggish and does 

 not move about on windy days. It has, indeed, been suggested 

 that their attacks take place at night, but I have had them settle on 

 me in the day-time and have found them very difficult to drive 

 away, but easily killed when they settle." 



