tHB ORGANS OP SPECIAL SENSE. 



239 



(' Archiv f. Wissensch. u. pract. Thierh.,' 1875), also by 

 Defranc, Megnin, and Fleming. Kuchenmeister described 

 the harvest bug as a human parasite causing boils, obtained 

 in the antumn from grass and stubble. It affects animals 

 in July and August ; at other time it is supposed to undergo 

 developmental changes in mossy places. It is frequent in 

 countries with chalky soil, and burrows in the skin. It 



Fia. 73. — Leptus aulumnalis. (After Friedbebseb.) 



produces irritation, especially when the part is rubbed, 

 which causes it to expel acrid ejecta. Before it has 

 burrowed it may be detected with the naked eye, as its 

 bright red colour renders it conspicuous. It most fre- 

 quently attaches itself to the head or upper part of the 

 neck or back of the dog. It causes at first a great deal 

 of irritation of the skin and eczematous changes, indi- 

 cated by the usual symptoms. In some cases there is 

 little actual irritation but bare spots of irregularly circular 

 form are found scattered over the head or upper part of 

 the body. On the more recent spots the bright red 

 parasite may be detected by means of a small hand lens. 

 Fleming found that paraffin dressing answered in a few 

 days, but the skin looked unhealthy for some weeks. 

 Friedberger found that energetic washing only seemed to 

 extend the disease ; he tried the effect of 4 per cent, solu- 



