138 



aquila ; P. vulturis, Wulp, on \Tiltures (in Mexico) ; Olfersia rapta- 

 torum, sp. n., on sparrow-hawks and Cafhartes aura (golden-headed 

 vulture) ; Olfersia nigra, Perty, and Pseudornithomyia amhigua, 

 gen. et sp. n., on swallows. No definite hosts are given for : — 

 OrnitJiodoyia erythrocephala, Leach, Olfersia holopera, sp. n., Olfersia 

 fusca, Macq., and Ornithoica corfluens, Say. 



RoDHAiN (J.) & Bequaert (J.). Mat6riaux pour une Etude mono- 

 graphique des Dip(eres Parasites de I'Afrique. i. [Materials for 

 a Monograph on the Parasitic Diptera of Africa.] — Bull. Sci. 

 France et Belgique, Paris, Ser. vii, xlix, no. 3, 29th April 191G, 

 pp. 236-289, 14 figs. [Received 4th July 1916.] 



The paper gives a historical account of the observations of Dufour, 

 du Buysson, Roubaud, etc., on Dipterous larvae parasitic on birds, 

 special attention being paid to the genus Phormia, R. D., P. sordida 

 having been obtained from the nest of Parus ater, L. [see this Review, 

 Ser. B, iii, p. 97]. Passeromyia heterocJiaeta, Villen., was first obtained 

 from the nests of Passer sp. in the Congo in 1914 [see this Review, 

 Ser. B, ii, p. 69]. It appears to be widely distributed in Central Africa, 

 having been recorded from Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Katanga, and British 

 East Africa ; it has also been met with in China. In the Congo region 

 larvae are abundant in nests in the Welle district, in the damp equatorial 

 forest. The nests of swallows, various species of Ploceicae, Sper- 

 mestes cucullaia, etc., as well as those of Passer griseus, form suitable 

 breeding places. The youngest larva of which a description is given is 

 that in the third stage. In nature, the larvae are apparently parasitic 

 only on young birds, but under experimental conditions they have 

 been induced to feed on adults. Neither eggs nor adult flies have 

 been obtained under natural conditions. Experimentally, adults 

 have been fed on fruit juice and the excrement of birds and mammals. 

 Though pairing was observed, no eggs were deposited, and it is uncertain 

 whether this species is oviparous or viviparous. It is probable that 

 the young larvae adhere to the host until after the first moult, and are 

 unable at any stage to withstand separation from the host for any 

 considerable length of time. The change from the full-grown larva to 

 the pupa takes place in a cocoon ; adults emerge in from 12 to 14 

 days. 



The larvae of two species of Calliphorine Muscids, Cordylobia anthro- 

 pophaga, Blanch., and C. (Stasisia) rodhaini, Ged., cause cutaneous 

 myiasis in Africa. The former species occurs from Senegal to the Cape, 

 the latter only in the equatorial forest regions of the Congo. The 

 usual host of C. anthropophaga is the domestic dog ; C. rodhaini, on 

 the other hand, occurs normally on wild hosts [see this Review, Ser. B, 

 iii, p. 225]. Attempts made by the authors to produce artificial 

 infection in a guinea-pig by placing the eggs of C. rodhaini on or near 

 the animal met with positive results in very few cases. The immobility 

 of the host is apparently essential for the larvae to be able to effect 

 their entrance. Under laboratory conditions eggs were deposited on 

 dry excrement or on substances impregnated with liquid manure. 

 In nature it is probable that eggs are laid on substances impregnated 

 with urine or with the sweat of the host. Previous investigations made 

 in 1908 seemed to show that cases of myiasis were more common during 



