190 



Legendre (J.). Note sur les Stegomyias du Tonkin. [Ou 



Stegomyia in Tonkin.] — Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., Paris, 

 9tli July 1913, pp. 511-513. 



Stegomyia in Tonkin, though most abundant in summer and 

 autumn, is also met with at other seasons, appearing even in 

 February, the coldest month. It is more active by day than by 

 night, the males sucking up perspiration and the females drink- 

 ing blood. The insect finds the naked legs of children an easy 

 prey. Its habits are the same as in Africa and America. It ovi- 

 posits in clear water, e.g., in ricefields, in the neighbourhood of 

 man, and it sometimes chooses such receptacles as the water in 

 empty snail-shells, cut bamboos, etc. The eggs were found in the 

 fork of a tree at Hanoi, but several visits to a " travellers' tree " 

 (Ravenola wadagascariensis) close by, failed to disclose any. 



Legendre (J.). Destruction des Culicines a I'aide du gite-piege. 

 [The destruction of Culicidae by the use of breeding places 

 as traps.] — Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., Paris, 9th July 1913, 

 pp. 513-514. 



The author states that at Hanoi the tropical showers and gusts 

 of wind peculiar to the five months of the hot season greatly 

 interfere with the laying of eggs by Culicidae, especially when 

 the squalls take place about or after nightfall ; and he gives a 

 table showing the numbers of mosquitos observed at the Biological 

 Station during various months, adding that the multiplication of 

 the insects takes place in March, April and May. During stormy 

 weather they have to lay in clear water, such as that in household 

 vessels or the station tanks, though they do not like such water 

 or the presence in it of Stegomyia; and the author suggests that 

 these tanks should be used as traps or as a means of supplying 

 fish nurseries with larvae. 



Tuck (G. L.). Investigations into the Relationship of the Tarbogan 

 (Mongolian marmot) to Plague. — Lancet, London, 4J3rd Aug. 

 1913, pp. 529-535, 4 figs. 



The author states that although a sick Arctomys bobac, Schreb. 

 (the true marmot, called " tarbagan " in Mongolia and " wood- 

 chuck " in America) was found, in June 1911, to be infected 

 with plague, the extensive investigations made in the following 

 month by Russian and Chinese expeditions into an alleged epi- 

 demic among these animals failed to bring to light a single case 

 or any evidence of such a disease among the marmots. Moreover, 

 it was found that Ceratophyllus silvantievi and Rlnpi cephalus , 

 the fleas and ticks living on tarbagan, showed no inclination to 

 bite man. Even starvation did not induce the ticks to do so, and 

 the experiment only succeeded in the case of a starved flea. 



