119 



process of dipping cattle to destroy the parasites are explained, and 

 the construction of the necessary baths is described. The technique 

 of preventive inoculation is also discussed, though this method has 

 never proved entirely efficacious. 



LuiGiONi (P.). Una notevole Invasione di " Symphoromyia grisea, 

 Meigen," a Fiuggi Fonte (Prov. di Roma). (Diptera — Fam. 

 Rhagionidae.) [A Noteworthy Outbreak of S. grisea at Fiuggi 

 Fonte in the Province of Rome.] — Separate, 3 pp., from Atti. 

 Pontif. Accad. Nuovi Lincei, Rome, Ixxv, 18th December 1921. 



Early in July 1920 a fly, Symphoromyia grisea, Meig., occurred in 

 abundance at Fiuggi Fonte. The flies were very persistent in shady 

 places, and their bites were painful. The ingestion of blood was 

 ascertained experimentally, and according to Prof. Bezzi this is the 

 first definite European record of blood-sucking in this genus. 



Culex pipiens, L., Theohaldia (Ctdex) annidaia, Schr., and Anopheles 

 mactdipennis, Meig. {claviger, F.), were noted in the same locality. 



Strong (W. M.). Cases resembling Typhus Fever. — Med. Jl. Aus- 

 tralia, Sydney, 9th Year, i, no. 7, 18th February 1922, pp. 199-200. 



Pedicidoides ventricosus is suggested as a possible transmitter of 

 cases of the infection closely resembling tvphus fever noted previously 

 [R.A.E.,B,x,dA]. 



Clarke (J. T.). The Etiology of Rheumatic Fever.-— Brit. Med. Jl. 

 London, no. 3196, 1st April 1922, pp. 540-541. 



It is suggested that rheumatic fever is probably caused by a protozoon, 

 of which Ceratophyllus fasciatus (rat flea) is considered to be the 

 carrier, man and rats being alternative hosts. Neither rheumatic 

 fever nor C. fasciatus occur in the tropics. The geographical distri- 

 bution of subinfective endocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis and of 

 scarlet fever are similar to that of rheumatic fever, and their cause 

 must be looked for on the same lines. They are possibly all caused 

 by protozoa and possibly all carried by fleas. 



Hull (J. E.). The Harvest Bug.— Fasc«/«m, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 

 vi, no. 3-4, December 1920, pp. 73-76. 



The systematic position of the harvest bug and the opinions of various 

 authors on this subject are reviewed. The mite concerned has been 

 described under various names, including Lepius {Acarus, Micro- 

 trombidium) antumnalis. Three species of harvest bug apparently 

 occur in France, L. autnmnalis being the commonest. In England 

 Allothrombium fuliginosum seems to be the species concerned, as it is 

 apparently the only one that is abundant in the areas infested with 

 harvest bugs, the others being Sericothromhium sp. and Riiteria 

 nemoriim, both of which are known in the larval stages only. It is 

 probably a characteristic of the genus Allothrombium that in the larval 

 stage its members are blood-sucking parasites, but it is thought 

 unlikely that they are capable of transmitting disease. 



(6649) L 2 



