70 



HiNDLE (E.). Notes on the Biology of Pediculus humanus. — Parasito- 



log>/, Cambridge, ix, no. 2, February 1917, pp. 259-265. 



These notes deal with the occurrence of male and female broods of 

 Pediculus humanus and upon the inheritance of melanism in this 

 louse. They have been published, though incomplete, as being of 

 interest, in view of the results described in the preceding paper. 



NuTTALL (G. H. F.). studies on Pediculus. I. The Copulatory Appara- 

 tus and the Process of Copulation in Pediculus humanus. — Parasi 

 tology, Cambridge, ix, no. 2, February 1917, pp. 293-324, 12 figs., 

 2 plates. 



The subject matter of this lengthy paper is sufficiently indicated 

 by its title. Though most authors recognise the head louse (P. cajntis, 

 de G.), and the clothes or body louse (P. humanus, L.) as two distinct 

 species, the author states that, while the extreme forms appear 

 markedly different, in a long series of specimens every intergrade can 

 be found between them, so that no dividing line can be laid down, 

 and they must therefore be treated as races of the same species, 

 showing slight biological differences. 



The publication of this preliminary paper has been deemed expedient 

 owing to the active interest taken in this insect and its habits, 

 especially in connection with the War. 



A bibliography of 11 volumes is appended. 



KicHARDSON (Q.H.). The Shatt-el-Arab River, with special Reference 

 to Malaria.^ — Jl. Boy. Naval Med. Service, London, iii, no. 1, 

 January 1917, pp. 33-37. 



Though tidal throughout its course, the Shatt-el-Arab contains fresh 

 water from its point of origin — the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates, 

 120 miles from the Persian Gulf — to the village of Fao near its mouth. 

 The country is extremely flat, and the date belt, the inhabited area 

 proper, is in many places below high- water level, so that plantations 

 are often converted into swamps, where weed growth is rapid, thus 

 completing the necessary factors for an ideal breeding ground for 

 mosquitos. During the malaria season, from April to December, 

 on board the ship in which the author was serving, it was found that 30 

 gr. of quinine a week per man was the minimum effective preventive 

 dose. Screening the ship was quite out of the question on account of 

 the excessive temperatures, and mosquito nets were only partly 

 useful. Mosquitos were however driven away or killed by the vapour 

 from katol sticks obtained from India and burnt in the living spaces. 



Grimshaw (P. H.). A Guide to the Literature of British Diptera. — 



Separate, dated 12th March 1917 from Proc. Royal Phys. Soc, 

 Edinburgh, Edinburgh, xx, part 2, pp. 78-117. 



This biblography of British Diptera contains references to various 

 species of economic importance, special notice being given to flies 

 in their relation to man, to Culicidae (gnats or mosquitos), to SiMU- 

 LiiDAE (sand-flies), to Oestridae (bot-flies and warble-flies) and to 

 Muscidae (house flies, blue-bottles, etc.). 



