102 



Patton (W. S). Some Notes on the Arthropods of Medical and 

 Veterinary Importance in Mesopotamia, and on their Relation to 

 Disease. Part III. The Bot Flies of Mesopotamia.— /w^f. Jl. Med. 

 Res., Calcutta, viii, no. 1, July 1920, pp. 1-16, 2 plates, 2 figs. 

 [Received 11th April 1921.] 



It is now considered established that Musca humilis, Wied. [R. A.E., 

 B, ix, 15] is one of the most important house-flies in the East ; it is- 

 identical with M. euteniata, Big., and probably with M. condiicens, 

 Wlk., and M. praecox, Wlk. The genus requires revision, and the 

 author asks for specimens of Musca from any part of the world for 

 this purpose. 



GastropJiilus intestinalis var. hengalensis, Macq., the adults of which 

 are seen in Mesopotamia in March and x\pril and August and September, 

 lay their eggs preferably on the hairs on the inner sides of the forelegs. 

 The larval stage is passed in the horse from about the end of October 

 or beginning of November until March, and again from April till about 

 the middle of August. The works of various authors on the method 

 by which the larvae reach the stomach and duodenum of horses and 

 mules are reviewed. 



The eggs of G. nasalis, L., are laid singly on the hairs between the 

 rami of the jaws, close to the skin. The writer's observations confirm 

 those of Cameron [R.A.E., B, vii, 58] that G. nasalis never oviposits 

 on the skin of the lips, though in exceptional cases eggs may be found 

 on the hairs on the under-surface of the lower lip. The adults are 

 seen at the same time as G. intestinalis var. hengalensis, but are less 

 mmierous. Owing to the irritation, worry, loss of flesh and mechanical 

 injury due to rubbing or falls as a result of cumulative effects of a 

 number of these flies, horses and mules should be protected from them, 

 especially from G. nasalis. For this purpose the method suggested 

 by Hadwen and Cameron is advocated [loc. cit., vii, 56]. Special 

 attention should be paid to the clipping of egg-laden hairs and the 

 destruction of larvae dropped in the excreta. As a nfle well-nourished 

 animals do not suffer much from the presence of large numbers of 

 larvae. It has been definitely proved that Gastrophilns larvae do not 

 cause pernicious anaemia of horses ; no case of the disease has been 

 recorded from Mesopotamia. 



Cephalopsis titillator, Clark {Ccphalomyia macidata, Wied.) is very 

 common in Mesopotamia ; it attacks dromedaries, and is probably 

 a variety of the species attacking camels. It is not oviparous, as is- 

 generally supposed. The larvae are deposited one or more at a time 

 inside the nasal orifice. They crawl up the nostrils to the nasopharynx, 

 where they remain until mature. There are two broods in the year. 

 The larvae of the early brood begin to leave the nasal cavity about 

 the middle of March. Larvae coUected on 22nd March pupated on 

 23rd to 27th, and adults began emerging about 10th April. Larvae 

 were deposited in the middle of April, and began leaving the nasal 

 cavity about the middle of August. The adults appeared again early 

 in September and deposited larvae in the same month. 



Oestrus ovis, L. (sheep bot) is larviparous in India and Mesopotamia,, 

 the larvae being deposited just inside the nose. It has apparently 

 two broods in Mesopotamia, which correspond to those of Cephalopsis 

 titillator, though development is probably much more rapid in hot 

 weather. 



As far as could be ascertained, the larvae of C. titillator in no way 



