130 



does not mention what means were taken to determine the 

 presence or absence of longitudinal striatums. In sections of 

 a lesion a transverse section of the larva would clearly reveal 

 the presence of the longitudinal striations in the cuticle. 

 Unless transverse sections were made of the larvae isolated 

 from the flies longitudinal striations could not have been 

 demonstrated. If all means were taken to determine the 

 presence or absence of these striations then, one may assert 

 with confidence, that the larvae isolated from the flies by van 

 Saceghem- were neither larvae of 11. muscae nor H. megastoma, 

 but the larvae of some other species probably not yet described, 

 although there is a possibility that they may have been the 

 larvae of 11. microstoma. 



There is no proof that the larvae used by van Saceghem 

 in his experiments were the larvae of 11 . muscae, as he claims. 

 His experiments are valuable in demonstrating that the final 

 larval stage of llabronema is capable of producing a typical 

 lesion, but they do not help in the specific determination of 

 the larva responsible. 



It is interesting to note that Descazeaux records the fact 

 that a typical "summer sore" may develop without any pre- 

 existing wound or sore in the skin ("dans certains cas on 

 observe des tumeurs parasitaires sans qu'il soit possible de 

 deceler la moindre lesion cutanee"). Railliet mentions that 

 Lingard in studying "bursati" in India observed the presence 

 of the characteristic kunkur in some cases before the formation 

 of any ulcer. Van Saceghem observed that on parts of the body 

 where "summer sores" were subsequently set up an intense 

 pruritus was manifested before the appearance of the visible 

 lesion ("J'ai pu observer tres souvent qu'au niveau des regions 

 ou va se declarer une plaie d'ete, avant l'apparition des lesions 

 visibles, l'animal souffre d'un prurit intense qu'il manifeste en 

 se mordant jusqu'au sang"). 



It is possible that these observations may show that a 

 'Summer sore" does not always result from the infection of 

 an ordinal wound. The conclusions already reached with 

 regard to the probable mode of infection are, therefore, not 

 inconsistent with the facts as gathered from other parts of the 

 world. It seems probable that the larvae responsible for the 

 production of a "summer sore" are either that of Habrcmema 

 megastoma or H . muscae, although there is a possibility that 

 some unrecorded species may also be responsible. 



2. "Swamp cancer" in the Solomon Islands. 



Through the courtesy of Mr. John Scott, the present 

 writer has had an opportunity of examining specimens of a 



