40 Indian Museum Notes. [ YqI. Hi, 



justifiable one that SimuUum indicum occurs in the intermediate ranges 

 of the Himalayas. Both in the North- West Himalayas and in Sikkim 

 the insect chiefly frequents elevations ranging from 3,0U0 to about 10,1)00 

 feet. It has been noticed as specially common in Chir [Pinus longifolin) 

 and Deodar {Cedrus Deodara) forest, over newly disturbed soil, and 

 where sheep and buffaloes have been camping, but is by no means confined 

 to such localities. 



In the North-West Provinces it is said sometimes to occur in such 

 numbers that the air seems to be full o£ the flies, but it is less abundant 

 in Sikkim where the climate is moister. The worst months are April, 

 May, and June, i.e., the hot season, but the flies are not uncommon in the 

 low valleys in February and March. When the rainy season sets in they 

 usually disappear, and are not seen again until the following spring. 



The insect flies noiselessly and its bite in the fii'st instance is so 

 painless that the creature is seldom noticed at work until its yellow and 

 black body is to some extent coloured with the blood it has absorbed. 

 It is then too late to do much good by brushing it away. 



It leaves a characteristic mark due to the presence of a little globule 

 of blood, about the size of a pin's head, beneath the skin. The bite soon 

 becomes irritable, but the effects vary in different individuals. Gener- 

 ally speaking the irritation passes off in a few days, but in the case of 

 new comers and persons in bad health it often causes troublesome sores 

 and ulcers. Mr. G. C. Rogers writes : " This year my cook was so badly 

 bitten at Saia that his whole face swelled up and he was in great pain. 

 Another of my servants was very badly bitten in the Upper Tons valley 

 and got his legs so sore that he could hardly walk." 



The common method of treatment is to squeeze the blood out of the 

 wound immediately, as this allays the intolerable itching, though even 

 then some swelling is usually produced. Deodar and Eucalyptus oil also 

 are freely used for rubbing over the hands and face to keep off the 

 insects which are most annoying where they occur. 



Dogs are sometimes bitten upon the nose by the insect so as to draw 

 blood. Cattle and sheep also are thought to be attacked, but no definite 

 information is available upon this point. 



Nothing has been observed of the life history of the insect, and, 

 although the localities where it occurs are never very far from hill 

 screams, it has not been specially noticed as prevalent near to water. 



Prom what is known of the habits of European and American species 

 of the same genus it is to be expected that the female lays her eggs in 

 quick flowing hill streams, the larval and pupal stages being passed 

 in the water. 



The specimens forwarded to the Indian Museum proved to be all 



