341 



ber of the Ophtludmie Record an account of the occurrence of a maggot 

 in the ear of one of his patients. The latter was a strong, Avell nour- 

 ished man, who was suftering from an old suppurated Otitis Media in 

 the left ear, which had been under observation for some time. When 

 admitted to Dr. Johnson's infirmary an examination showed the exter- 

 nal auditory canal to be filled with a nuico-purulent discharge of con- 

 siderable thickness, yellow in color and excessively odorous. After 

 removing this the tympanum was found to contain a large perforation, 

 in which was noticed a white substance, which was at first thought to 

 be white, exfoliated skin. Later the white material was observed to 

 move, and it was then concluded that some living organism was pres- 

 ent. After an ineffectual effort to remove it by syringing, the ear- 

 forceps were used, and the object was seized and instantly removed. 

 It held to the mucous membrane with sufficient force to cause some 

 haemorrhage. It was found to be an "ordinary maggot," half an inch 

 long, '^ very fat and quite lively." The specimen was sent to the liev. 

 Samuel Lockwood, of Freehold, N. J., who reported that it was the larva 

 of the Flesh Fly or Meat Fly — Sarcophaga carnaria. The larva was 

 full grown and just on the point of transforming. In Dr. Lockwood's 

 opinion it was about ten days old. 



On the supposition that the rupture in the ear drum was an old one, 

 the parent fly was probably attracted to the external ear by the puru- 

 lent discharge, which undoubtedly preexisted. If, however, the mag- 

 got itself made the perforation. Dr. Lockwood suggests that it might 

 have entered when very young through the Eustachian tube. Suppos- 

 ing the patient to have eaten cold tainted meat, and, when a morsel was 

 in his mouth, to have coughed from some cause or other, or in some way 

 to have dislodged a very young larva, so that it was thrown upon or 

 near to the opening of the Eustachian tube, its occurrence in the ear 

 would be accounted for. These alternatives were jilaced before Prof. 

 Johnson by Dr. Lockwood, and the information elicited from the patient 

 seems to prove the correctness of the former hypothesis. This case, 

 although l>y no means unprecedented, is an interesting contribution to 

 Myasis records. 



THE JAPANESE PEACH MOTH. 



Through the kindness of Prof. C. Sasaki, of the Royal Agricultural 

 and Dendrological College of Tokio, we have received specimens of the 

 peach moth which was referred to at some length on pages 24 to 66 of 

 Volume II of Insect Life. It will be remembered that Prof. Sasaki 

 judged the insect to be a species of Carpocapsa closely allied to our Cod- 

 ling Moth. An examination of the specimens received shows, in spite of 

 their injured condition, that the insect is a Tineid rather than a Tortri- 

 cid, agreeing almost exactly in venation with the genus Carposina, 

 varying from it only in two minute points in the hind wings. We have 

 sent for additional material which, if it arrives in good condition, will 

 enable a more accurate ^•erdict. 



