194 



Robinson (H. W.). Same species of Tick Infesting Polecat and Otter. 

 —Zoologist, Londo7i, no. 904, 16tli October 1916, p. 399. 



Examples of Ixodes hexagonus are recorded in England from polecats 

 kept in captivity and from otters. 



€overnment Notice [concerning House-Flies]. — Extract from Official 

 Gaz., Georgetown, 6tli May 1916, 4 pp. [Received 28th October 

 1916.] 



In British Guiana, Mvsca domestica breeds in horse manure, rotting 

 fruit and vegetables, farinaceous substances, decaying feathers mixed 

 with chicken manure, rotting meat, etc. In the laboratory larvae 

 were reared successfully on damp bran. Under the same conditions 

 at an average temperature of 78"8° F. the incubation period of the egg 

 was 13 hours ; this period would be lessened under the higher tempera- 

 ture of natural conditions. The most favovirable temperature for 

 larval development lies between 90° and 98° F. ; in the laboratory at 

 an average temperature of 84'6° F., the duration of this stage was 

 six days. This, under suitable conditions, may be reduced to four da,ys. 

 The pupal stage lasted five days, giving a total of 12 days for the com- 

 plete life-cycle. The female is ready to oviposit about six days after 

 emergence, and is capable of producing five or six batches of more than 

 100 eggs each. Natural enemies of 31. doynestica in British Guiana 

 inchide two species of mites, and spiders, especially those belonging 

 to the family Attidae, attacking the adults, and ants, fowls and a 

 Hymenopterous parasite, attacking larvae and pupae. 



Flies are not extremely abundant in those parts of Georgetown in 

 which a good system of sanitation exists, but are very prevalent in the 

 less sanitary parts. The stables, etc., present in the town and in the 

 vicinity of the harbour are responsible for at least 80 per cent, of the 

 total number of flies. The following measures should therefore be 

 enforced : — (1) All stables should be provided with a concrete floor 

 so that regular flushing can be carried out. (2) Concrete drains 

 connecting with a main drain or trench should be provided. (3) 

 Manure should not be allowed to accumulate in or about stables ; 

 closed bins should be provided for the reception of manure and should 

 be emptied at least once a week. In houses, fly-papers or traps baited 

 with molasses should be freely exposed. 



LocHHEAD (W.). Some notes regarding Nose and other Bot Flies. — 

 46th Ann. Rept. Entom. Soc. Ontario, 1915, Toronto, 1916, 

 pp. 102-108, 5 figs. [Received 10th October 1916.] 



The flies which trouble horses so much in the western provinces of 

 Canada have been identified as GastrojjJiilus tmsalis (nose fly) from 

 specimens sent from Saskatchewan. For the past two or three years 

 in Chateauguay and Huntingdon counties, certain flies were reported 

 as very troublesome to dairy herds in the pastures during June and 

 early July. These have been identified as Hypoderma bovis. The 

 outbreak is due to the large importation into these counties of cattle 

 from Scotland. A table is given for identifying the common genera 

 and species of Oestridae, and the wings of Gastrophilus nasalis, 

 G. equi, G. haeiuorrhoidalis, Hypoder^ia bovis and H. lineata are 

 figured. 



