THE TRANSMISSION OF VERRUGA BY PHLEBOTOMUS. 411 



Mosquitos are suggested as likely vectors of verruga (pp. 172-3). There is not the 

 slightest possibility of the transmission of verruga by a Culicid. The authors' 

 experiments with the above P. debilis, given on pages 41 and 42, which involved 

 a great amount of work, are interesting, but of little practical moment. The writer 

 calls attention to his already published statement that from July 1913 to February 

 1914 only one Culicid specimen was discovered by himself and his assistants in the 

 house at Verrugas Canyon, and that not until 18th February.* 



Finally, it is stated : "It must naturally be borne in mind that there are 

 undoubtedly many other insects in these zones which remain to be discovered " 

 (p. 173). This is unquestionably so, but it cuts no figure in the present investigation, 

 for there are no bloodsuckers occurring in any abundance to which this statement can 

 be applied. The vector of verruga must of necessity be a nocturnal or crepuscular 

 bloodsucker which is abundant in individuals during the humid season, or period of 

 greatest prevalence of the disease, and never absent at any time of the year. It can 

 be stated absolutely that the Phlebotomus is the only species that meets these requirements, 

 coupled with the complementary requirement of being confined to the verruga 

 zone. Probably few will question that the present writer's personal experience of 

 nearly two years with the bloodsucking fauna of the Rimac verruga zone should 

 qualify him to speak authoritatively on this subject. 



Peru To-day, vi, p. 62 (1914) ; Anales de Zool. Aplic, i, pp. 54-6 (1914). 



(C221) G2 



