( APR 1 1 1921 



V 



41 



""•^i-ual JL^*<^*^^ 



Mayne (B.). One or several Species of Malaria Parasites ? A Review 



of Recent Work bearing on this Question. -Public Health Kcpts., 



Washington, B.C., xxxv, no. 48, 26th November 1920, pp. 2846- 



2858. 



A review of a considerable amount of literature both lor and against 



the unitarian theory of malaria [R.A.E., B, viii, 169, 195, 196; etc.] 



is followed by an accoimt of inoculation experiments confirming the 



idea of constancy of species. A typical illustration is also given of 



a series of mixed infections as an example of a case that might be used 



to defend either hypothesis. The conclusion reached is that without 



more data from blood cultures and mosquito inoculation experiments 



it is impossible definitely to prove that the plurality of species is 



not the normal status ; and that the principle of transmutation remains 



merely an interesting hypothesis. 



Edwards (F. \\.). On the British Species of SimuUiim.^u. The 

 Early Stages; with Corrections and Additions to Part i. — Bulk 

 Ent. Res., London, xi, pt. 3, December 1920, pp. 211-246, 7 figs. 



Notes are given on the habitat of tlie various larvae ; the diagnostic- 

 characters of the larvae and pupae ; seasonal variation, in the one or 

 two cases in which it occurs ; range of flight ; parasites, including a 

 worm of the genus Mennis, the sporozoans Glugca spp., and an 

 undetermined Grcgarine, none of which occur in large numbers ;. 

 and other points of interest. 



The opinion expressed in the first part of this paper [R.A.E., B, iii,. 

 140] that some of the commonest British species of Simulium are 

 probably not blood-suckers is here altered in view of abundant evidence 

 that both S. ornatiim and S. latipes will attack man ; and though there 

 are still species (such as 5. anreum) against which there is no evidence, 

 it is assumed that all the species may develop this habit on occasion 

 The blood-sucking propensity apparently depends much more on the 

 weather than the particular species ; a still, warm and sunny afternoon,, 

 particularly in the spring, will always rouse the flies to activity. 



Keys are given for the larvae and pupae, together with revisions of 

 those previously pubhshed for the adults of both sexes [loc. cit.]. The 

 male and female previously described as S. aureum, Fries, really belong 

 to different species — the former to S. angustitarse, Lundstr., while the 

 insect described as 5. angusiipes is the true male of S. atireiim. 5> 

 aurenm also occurs in North America under the name of S. hracteatum, 

 Coq. The insect described as S. aiisteni is so closely allied in all stages- 

 to the North American S. venustnm, Say, that it cannot be ranked as 

 more than a local race. 



The following new species and varieties are described : — 5. ornatum 

 var. nitidifrons, S. snbornaium, S. reptans var. galeratiim, S. yerburyi,. 

 and 5. iredecimatmn. The last-named is described from the larvae 

 and one pupa only, the adult being unknown. 



Dalziel (J. M.). Crab-holes, Trees, and other Mosquito Sources in 



Lagos. — Bidl. Ent. Res., London, xi, pt. 3, Dcccmlxr 1920, pp. 

 247-270. 



The importance of crab-holes as a breeding place for mosquitos is 

 often greatly underestimated. In many cases in Lagos the numbers 

 of mosquitos issuing from a very few holes in the vicinity of houses- 



(2021) Wt. P.1850;iG3 1 '-00 3 21 Harro-.v E 



