89 



people still live largely under natural conditions, particularly the 

 nomads of the steppes and the agricultural population. Light and 

 warmth are necessary conditions for the development of W. magnifica 

 and it is most active during the hot hours of the day, disappearing 

 early in the morning, in the evenings and in gloomy weather. Thus, 

 it is most dangerous to sleep outdoors between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. in 

 countries infested with this fly. The insect practically never appears 

 in houses, occurring mostly in fields, orchards and similar places, and 

 until the females are sexually mature, they may be seen everywhere 

 on flowers. Each female carries from 124 to 168 larvae, all of which 

 mature at the same time and, immediately after deposition, hide in 

 folds of the skin, wounds, etc. Unlike those of other flies, these larvae, 

 the stages of which are described and figured in detail, never penetrate 

 into the digestive organs. 



The control of this pest is very difficult and, in addition to prevention 

 of attack, consists in the removal and destruction of the larvae, which 

 necessitates frequent inspection of the animals. The larvae are very 

 tenacious of life, and will survive about two hours immersion in a 

 2 per 1,000 solution of corrosive sublimate or in 95 per cent, alcohol; 

 about 1\ hours in a 5 per cent, solution of boric acid ; about 30 minutes 

 in a 2 per cent, and 10 minutes in a 5 per cent, solution of carbolic acid ; 

 they are able to survive for the same time in turpentine and in pure 

 hydrochloric acid, but perish in one minute in sulphuric ether and in 

 chloroform water (2 in 100). After remaining for about one hour in 

 95 per cent, alcohol the larvae, if taken out and placed in earth, are 

 able to pupate and gives rise to adults. In the case of attacked 

 animals, the larvae must be first removed with forceps and the wounds 

 thoroughly cleaned and washed with a strong solution of lysol and 

 powdered with naphthaline, or if possible, dressed with coirrosiva 

 sublimate wool. When lars'^ae have penetrated into the gums, 

 inhalations of the steam from hot water poured over a handful of dry 

 leaves, fruits or seeds of Hyoscyamus, the head of the patient being 

 covered with a cloth, are useful, as after a few minutes the larvae will 

 drop out ; the same results may be obtained by throwing seeds of 

 this plant on burning coal and inhaling the vapour. AVhen the larvae 

 infest the nose and the frontal sinuses, they can be removed by washing 

 with creolin, sulphuric ether and chloroform water, after which a 

 water douche must be used to remove any dead individuals. The 

 use of snuff is not a good remedy, as the sneezing caused only expels 

 the adult lar\^ae. 



Allied species, which occur in Kussia are : — W. meigeni, Schin., the 

 adult of which resembles that of W. rnagnifica, though the larvae 

 differ considerably. The life-history of this fly is unknown. It 

 occurs in Europe and in European Russia, except in the governments 

 of Petrograd and Finland, and in Scandinavia. W. intermedia, 

 Portsch., was found by the author in Orenburg, Samara, and once in 

 Poltava ; the imago resembles that of W. meigeni, but is smaller. 

 The larvae however are twice as large as those of both the previous 

 species ; their armament is also different. W. balassogloi, Portsch., 

 was first described in 1882 and is found in Orenburg, Stavropol and 

 Astrachan, in Transcaucasia and in Central Asia ; it is thought to be 

 a parasite of locusts ; this fly is the smallest of the series. W. tetri- 

 piinctata, L. Duf., is found in south Europe, in Caucasia and Central 

 Asia ; its bionomics are practically unknown. 



