184 



Nezlobinsky (N.). K-b Bonpocy ofiia yHMMTomeHiw CTpeKoaaMii ho- 

 UjeKl> M KOiViapOB"b. [On the question of the destruction by dragon- 

 flies of gnats and mosquitos.] «JlK)6MTenb npiipOAbl.» [Friend 

 of Nature], Fetrograd, no, 4, April 1915, pp. 110-114. 



The author, referring to the foregoing paper, observed in 1911 on the 

 lower reaches of the Dnieper, that dragonflies resembling LibeUida 

 pectoralis, destroyed in three or four days all the mosquitos in that 

 locality. In spite of this, he does not consider that dragonflies can 

 be a serious factor in controlling mosquitos, except on the rare occasions 

 when they are present in abnormal numbers. 



Theobald (F. V.). Report on Economic Zoology for the year ending 

 September 30th 1913. Jl. of the South Eastern Agric. Coll. Wye, Kent, 

 no. 22, 1913, pp. 334-339. 



Large numbers of Pyrellia lasiophthahia, Macq., Pollenia rudis, F., 

 and CJdoropisca circmndata, Meig., were sent from widely separated 

 localities in England, where they were swarming in houses in September 

 and October. These flies are difficult to destroy ; pyrethrum and 

 tobacco fumes gave unsatisfactory results and more drastic measures 

 cannot usually be employed on account of possible damage to furniture 

 and fittings. In this case, they were swept of! the ceilings into cloths 

 and burnt. Pyrellia lasiophthahna has not previously been recorded 

 as a house pest, but in the cases in question was as common as Pollenia. 



Poultry are said to be not infrequently attacked by the bug, Cimex 

 columbaria, on the Continent, but the author has only once seen the 

 insect in Britain previous to 1913, and then in very small numbers on 

 pigeons. According to Raillet, sitting hens are often driven from 

 their eggs by this bug. From observation of specimens in captivity, 

 it was found that they attack man as well as birds. Fumigation with 

 sulphur is suggested as the simplest means of destroying them in 

 poultry houses. 



Froggatt (W. W.). Sheep-Maggot Flies. — Dept. Agric, New South 

 Wales, Sydney, Farmers' Bulletin no. 95, March 1915, 52 pp., 

 5 figs., 4 plates. 



Much of the matter in this paper has already been abstracted [see 

 this Review, Ser. B, i, p. 225 ; ii, pp. 85, 94 ; iii, pp. 13-17.] As the flies 

 which infest the live wool of sheep develop in the first instance in 

 decaying animal and vegetable substances, preventive measures must 

 include the destruction by poisoning or burning of all matter in which 

 they can breed. An efficient poison can be made by dissolving 1 lb. 

 arsenic in 5 gals, water. When once the sheep are blown, the larvae 

 under the wool can only be destroyed by shearing ofT the infested wool 

 and treating with some mixture to kill the larvae thus exposed. 

 Attempts to find some mixture or essential oil which will attract the 

 flies away from the sheep, have up to the present been unsuccessful. 

 The question of inoculation of sheep to render them immune to attack 

 has been raised and the statement has been made that all sheep 

 which become blown are in an unhealthy condition. This is not 

 borne out by field observations. 



