424 HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



venom, making a sore, itching wound, accompanied with a 

 burning pain sometimes from two to four days, and often 

 associated with swellings which may extend over a good 

 deal of the body. That there is a specific poison injected 

 is indicated, rather conclusively, by the very constant and 

 uniform character of the symptoms in nearly all cases 

 of bites by this insect." It is known that a closely related 

 bug, found in California, is attracted by carrion, and it is 

 thought that part of the serious effect of the punctures by 

 the cone-nose may be due to inoculation of the wound 

 with bacteria obtained from decaying animal matter. 

 Undoubtedly, the wounds made by these different kissing 

 bugs are often infected with harmful bacteria, which are 

 responsible for some of the trouble. 



Miss Kimball says that some relief from the bites of the 

 cone-nose may be had by bathing the parts with camphor 

 and ammonia. Bathing the wounds with sweet oil has 

 proven of value in some cases. 



There are other closely related bugs of the family 

 Reduviidae that, on occasion, may puncture human beings 

 and cause considerable pain and discomfort. 



We have already discussed, rather fully, the bites of 

 certain dipterous insects, such as the mosquitoes, black- 

 flies, punkies, and others. A short account of the " screw 

 worm" fly, however, should be included here. 



The "screw worm" is the larva of a small fly, Chrysom- 

 yia macellaria, about two-fifths of an inch in length and 

 of a bluish-green color with metallic reflections. On the 

 back of the thorax there are three longitudinal black 

 stripes. This fly is said to be distributed from Canada 

 to Patagonia, but its activities and injuries in the United 

 States are confined largely to the Southern states. It 



