209 



Tick ie\er is dealt with on pages 16 and 17 for the general 

 information of farmers, and methods of treatment are ffiven. 



Patton (W. S.) & Ceagg {¥. W.). On certain haematophagous 

 species of the genus Musva, with descriptions of two new species. 

 — Indian Journal of Medical Research, Calr/tfta, i, no. 1, 

 •July 1913, pp. 11-23., 5 pis. 



The special interest and importance of the gronp of flies dealt 

 with in this paper lies in the remarkable manner in which they 

 obtain their food; being unable to penetrate the skin of the host 

 themselves, they rely on other and better equipped flies to do 

 it for them and feed on the blood and serum which exudes 

 from their bites. To this end they associate themselves with the 

 biting Muscids. 



Observations of these flies show that on approaching a biting 

 fly in the act of feeding the M it sea will endeavour to thrust 

 its proboscis into the wound, and to oust the rightful occupant. 

 The authors say that they have frequently seen as many as 6 

 individuals of Musca pattoni, a large fly, assembled round a single 

 small Fliilaemato nijjia insignis, waiting for it to withdraw its 

 proboscis. The larger Tabanids, which make a deep and complete 

 wound, provide a frequent supply of blood. These flies are not 

 entirely dependent on those capable of drawing blood for their 

 food, for they readily suck up the moisture which exudes from 

 open sores, and the authors point out that the manner in which 

 they obtain their food raises an interesting question as to whether 

 they do not represent a stage in the evolution of the blood-sucking 

 and biting forms. Their capacity for the transmission of infec- 

 tion is to a large extent accidental, but at the same time the 

 possibility of their travelling directly from an infected wound 

 to an uninfected one and carrying poison with them must not be 

 overlooked. It is only when they happen to be disturbed while 

 feeding that they will fly off to another animal, and in the 

 majority of cases, if accidental infection is to occur in a state 

 of nature, the infective organism must be capable of living for 

 at least 24 hours exposed to the external air. The authors then 

 proceed to describe and figure the eggs, larvae, pupae and perfect 

 insects of 4 species which they have studied in South India, 

 stating that they all resemble the common house-fly superficially, 

 and that identification is not always easy. The species are as 

 follows: — -Musca gibsoni, sp. n., found at Kodaikanal in the 

 Palni Hills, South' India, at a height of 6,000 feet. The authors 

 say that they have never seen it in the plains, but it was 

 extremely common in the month of September and that on one 

 occasion over 200 specimens were taken on one horse in 2 hours. 

 It appeared to cause more annoyance to cattle and horses than 

 did the true biting flies and to be chiefly dependent upon 

 Stomo.vjjs calcitrans and Bdellolarijna' sanguinolentis, which il 

 worries in a remarkably persistent manner, as many as a dozen 

 at a time being seen round one individual endeavouring to force 

 it to withdraw its proboscis. Both male and female suck blood. 

 The eggs are laid separately (about 50 at a time) in cow-dung, 



