14 



higeminum, is usually transmitted by the tick, Ixodes ricinns, though 

 Haemophysalis punctata may also be a carrier. The maximum infec- 

 tion occurs in May and June, and then dies down, to begin again towards 

 the end of August and September. Warm weather is favourable 

 to the ticks, as it provides them with abundance of grass for shelter. 

 The symptoms of the disease, general methods of treatment, and the 

 intravenous injection of tartar emetic are described. Preventive 

 treatments include keeping cattle away froni infected pastures for two 

 years, grazing sheep with cattle, as the ticks attach themselves to the 

 sheep, which are immune, and destruction of ticks by dipping and 

 applications to the skin. 



In the discussion following the reading of this paper it was remarked 

 that many cases of the disease were noticed on one farm in cattle on 

 which no ticks could be found, while ticks were as frequently observed 

 on healthy as on diseased cattle. Paraffin washes at 25 per cent, 

 strength have proved fatal to ticks, but the effects only last three or 

 four days. The swim baths that have proved successful in South 

 America are not considered practicable in this country. It is said 

 that clearing the pastures by keeping sheep only on infected areas is 

 only useful if the sheep are frequently dipped. Pastures have been 

 treated with heavy dressings of lime and salt without any result, but 

 on one farm, where the rough grass was burned, the number of cases 

 was certainly reduced. Pasturing with pigs and horses might be of 

 benefit. 



Johnston (T. H.) & Bancroft (M. J.). The Life Histories of Musca 

 australis, Maeq., and M. vetustissima. Walker. — Proc. R. Soc. 

 Queensland, Brisbane, xxxi, no. 12, 10th January 1920, pp. 181- 

 203, 26 figs. [Received November 1921.] 



Musca lusoria, Wied. {australis, Macq., fergusoni, J. & B.) and 

 M. humilis, Wied. {^vetustissima, Wlk.) are abundant in Queensland 

 in the summer. M. lusoria is fairly common also in the winter, except 

 during midwinter. It clusters round the eyes, mouth and nostrils 

 of cattle and horses, feeding on the sweat and mucus, and even blood 

 if a raw surface is available. The larvae are deposited most frequently 

 in fresh cow-dung and sometimes in horse manure. Experimentally the 

 larvae were also deposited in wallaby-dung, but under ordinary con- 

 ditions this is probably not a normal breeding-place. Before the 

 introduction of cattle and horses into Australia this fly probably bred 

 in decomposing vegetation. The larvae burrow rapidly into the dung, 

 and in hot weather pupate by the third day, but in the winter the 

 larval stage is prolonged to about six days. Under laboratory con- 

 ditions the larvae will pupate in damp sand. Pupation lasts from 

 9 to 15 days in summer and 27 to 32 days in winter under artificial 

 conditions, probably slightly less under natural conditions. Among 

 bred flies there is usually a slight preponderance of males, whereas 

 among flies captured on stock the males are decidedly in the minority. 

 Each fly probably deposits about twelve larvae. The adults may be 

 parasitised by larval mites of two species, one of which is probably 

 Acarus mtiscarum, L. 



The other fly described in this paper, M. humilis, is oviparous. The 

 eggs are laid in a mass below the surface of the dung ; they hatch in 

 24 hours in warm weather. By the fifth day the larvae are mature and 

 have entered upon the resting stage. Pupation lasts about 6 days in 

 the summer and from 10 to 14 days in the winter. 



