184 



author, his two assistants, one sanitary inspector, one sub-inspector, 

 12 overseers, and a varying number of cooHes up to 50 in all, 24 

 being permanent trained men. The anti-mosquito campaign recom- 

 mended for Colombo should be based upon an enactment making the 

 householder and owner of property responsible for preventing the 

 breeding of mosquitos on his premises. 



Patton (Major W. S.). The occurrence of Stygeromyia maculosa in 

 Madras, together with some observations on its habits. — Indian Jl. 

 Med. Research, Calcutta, ii, no. 1, July 1914, pp. 349-351, 

 4 figs., 1 pi. 



A series of Stygeroynyia maculosa was taken on a cow at Guindy, 

 Madras, and both sexes are figured and described, the female for the 

 first time. This fly is crepuscular in its habits, and all the specimens 

 were caught at dusk. It is difficult to recognise, and easily escapes 

 observation. It bites chiefly on the inner side of the legs, and when 

 feeding or at rest the wings overlie each other as in Glossina. It is 

 oviparous, and the egg and larva closely resemble those of Sto^noxys. 



Patton (Major W.S.). The behaviour of the parasite of the Indian 

 Kala-azar in the dog flea, Ctenocephalus felis, Bouch6, with some 

 remarks on canine Kala-azar and its relation to the human disease. 



— Imlian Jl. Med. Research, Calcutta, ii, no. 1, July 1914, 

 pp. 399-403. 



The parasite of Indian kala-azar does not develop in the Madras dog 

 flea, Ctenocephalus felis, but degenerates and disappears in eight hours. 

 This, together with the fact that the dog has not been found infected 

 with kala-azar, or at least with herpetomoniasis, in India, strongly 

 supports the view that human kala-azar is not of canine origin. The 

 human flea, Pidex irritans, has not been found in Madras. Assuming 

 that the parasites of Indian and Mediterranean kala-azar are identical, 

 it is difficult to understand why the one does not develop in the flea 

 while the other does. The fact that the dog may be infected with 

 Herpetomonas ctenocephali suggests that the so-called canine kala-azar 

 may have nothing to do with the human disease and that its association 

 with it is a coincidence. There is at present no proof that either 

 Ctenocephalus canis or Pidex irritans transmit the parasite of human 

 kala-azar from dog to man and man to dog, and the hypothesis 

 advanced by Nicolle and supported by Basile and others appears to 

 be based on very slender evidence. 



Mackie (Capt. F. P.). A flagellate infection of sand-flies. — Indian Jl. 

 Med. Research, Calcutta, ii, no. 1, July 1914, pp. 377-379, 1 pi. 



In the course of kala-azar investigations, 10 per cent, of the females 

 of Phlebotomus minutus were found to be infected with a flagellate of 

 the genus Herpetomonas, probably a natural parasite of the fly and 

 not hkely to have any relation to the occasional habit of Phlebotomus 

 as a human blood-sucker. Howlett's statement that the natural host 

 of P. minutiis is probably the common wall lizard is confirmed. The 

 flagellate does not appear to have been previously described, and 

 the name of Herpetomonas jMehotomi, sp. n., is suggested for it 



