126 



States 1 and 2 are probably the most usual methods of overwintering; 

 state 3 contributes to the number of active flies in early spring. The 

 relative lateness of the season at which house-flies become abundant,, 

 may be due to the smallness of the number of individuals which survive 

 the winter in an active condition. The author has been unable to 

 carry the insect through the winter in the pupal state, nor has he been 

 able to find living pupae under outdoor conditions. In more southerly 

 latitudes, e.^.,in Florida, the insect has been found in the active adult 

 €ondition and in various developmental stages during the winter, 

 although the duration of such stages is considerably lengthened. 



White (A.). The Diptera-Brachycera of Tasmania. Part I. Families 



Leptidae, Stratiomyidae, Nemestrinidae and Cyrtidae, — 

 Papers andProceedmgsR.S. of Tasmania for theyear 1914, Hobart, 

 18th March 1915, pp. 35-74, 11 figs. 



A blood-sucking Leptid, Sjxmiopsis tahaniformis, sp. n., is described 

 in this paper, which forms the first part of a revision of the Diptera- 

 Brachycera of Tasmania. This fly, which resembles a small Tabanus 

 in appearance, was found in Freycinet's Peninsula by Mr. G. H. Hardy, 

 who states that it occurs locally in swarms. It was met with on April 

 12th and would therefore appear to be an autumn species. 



Marlatt (C. L.). Cockroaches.— U. ^. Dept. Agric, Washington, D.C., 

 Farmers' Bull. no. 658, 27th March 1915, 15 pp. 5 figs. 



The best known domestic cockroaches are Blaffa orientalis and 

 Phyllodromia {BlatteUa) germanica in Europe, and Periplaneta austra- 

 lasiae and P. americana in AustraUa and America respectively. They 

 are almost omnivorous, feeding on dead animal matter, cereal products, 

 woollen and leather materials, etc. The excrement and the secretion of 

 the scent glands possess a characteristic odour which often damages 

 iood- stuffs. In Europe, the egg-capsules are often parasitised by an 

 Ichneumon, Evania appendigaster, the value of which is, however, 

 lessened by a hyperparasite, Entedon hagenowi. Sodium fluoride dusted 

 over hiding places causes the death or stupefaction of cockroaches in 

 a few hours. Borax mixed with chocolate powder, pyrethrum, 

 flowers of sulphur and sweetened flour paste mixed with 1-2 per cent, 

 of phosphorus have all been found to give good results. As fumigants, 

 hydrocyanic acid gas, carbon bisulphide and pyrethrum fumes can be 

 used. Suitable traps can be made from any deep vessel with smooth 

 internal w^alls containing a small quantity of stale beer or rancid butter. 



MA.CKIE (F. P.). Insects and Kala-azar.— /n(Z. Jl. Med. Research, 

 Calcutta, ii, no. 4, April 1915, pp. 942-949. 



The probable relationship between kala-azar and some biting insect 

 led to an attempt to make an insect census of the native huts in infected 

 villages. Little information was however gained in this way, and 

 in place of this method, an investigation of domestic vermin, viz., 

 body lice {Pedicidus humanus and P. capitis), bed-bugs {Cimex sp.), 

 mosquitos, sand-flies {Phlebotomus sp.) and leeches, was carried out. 



