40 



cent, of chloret. hydrargyric-ammon. gave excellent results. Without 

 any preliminary measures the ointment is rubbed on and left for 4 days 

 and is then scraped off mth a spatula. This procedure is repeated 

 twice and the animals are then washed. Two applications may suffice 

 in some cases. 



Parrot (L.). Repartition G6ographique de Phlebotomus minutus var, 

 africanus, dans le D6partement de Constantine. — [Geographical 

 Distribution of Phlebotomus minutus var. africanus in the 

 Department of Constantine.] — Bull. Soc. Path. Exot., Paris, xi 

 no. 9, 13th November 1918, pp. 791-792. 



In view of the hypothesis advanced by MM. Sergent, Lemaire and 

 Senevet concerning the possible role of Phhhoiomus, and particularly 

 of P. minutus var. africanus in the transmission of Oriental sore 

 [see this Review, Ser. B, iii, p. 2301, the authors publish the results^ 

 of their observations upon the geographical distribution of these 

 blood-sucking midges in the Department of Constantine. Captures 

 up to the present time have included the following species : — (1 ) In the 

 littoral zone, at Bone (Saint- Ferdinand district, 1915) : P. papaiasii. 

 Scop., 40 per cent. ; P. perniciosus, Newst., 10 per cent. ; P. minutus 

 var. africanus, Newst., 50 per cent. (2) On the high plateaux, at 

 Gambetta (near Souk-Ahras, 1914) : P. papatasii, 45 per cent. ; 

 P. ferniciosus, 30 per cent. ; P. minutus var. africanus, 25 per cent. ; 

 and at MacMahon (at the northern limit of the so-called Biskra centre 

 oi endemic leishmaniasis, 1917-1918) : P. papatasii, 10 per cent. ; « 

 P. perniciosus, 60 per cent. ; P. sergenti, Parrot, 20 per cent. ; 

 P. minutus var. africanus, 10 per cent. (3) In the ante-Saharan 

 steppe, at Barika (1915-1916) : P. papatasii, 25 per cent. ; P. pertiiciosus 

 5 per cent. ; P. minutu.s var. africnnus, 70 per cent. 



It is obvious that the abundance of P. mimdus var. africaiivs varies 

 greatly from one region to another. It would, however, be rash to 

 conclude that certain localities are more favourable than others to 

 the development of that species ; on the contrary, inspection shows that 

 within the limits of one locality the distribution of the different species 

 of Phlebotomus varies considerably in different quarters and in diiferent 

 houses. In other words, the percentages given above have only a 

 relative value, and might Ibe completely modified by extending the 

 investigations to other points of the localities from which they have 

 been drawn. All that can be stated ^vith certainty is that P. minutu.f 

 var. africanus is found throughout the Department of Constantine, 

 from the sea to the Sahara. 



Mesnil (F.) & RouBAUD (E.). Insects and Infections at the Front. — 

 C. R. Soc. Biol, Paris, Ixxxi, no. 20, 16th November 1918, 

 pp. 1034-1038. 



The importance of insects as carriers of disease, as emphasised by 

 the conditions of trench warfare during the past four years, is 

 summarised in this paper. Those dealt with include biting flies such 

 as Stomoxys, Simulium, Ceratopogon, mosquitos and Phlebotomus^ 

 house-flies such as Fannia canicularis, F. scalaris, Muscina and 

 Pollenia, blow-flies such as Calliphora, Lucilia, Phormia, and 

 Sarcophaga, as well as fleas and lice. 



