92 



EFFECT OF THE BITE OF A MIDGE ON A HUMAN BEING. 



It is well known that the genus Ceratopogon, of the dipterous 

 family Chironomidge, or what are termed biting flies, of which the 

 most conspicuous form is the so-called punky of the north woods of 

 Maine, sometimes called by the Indians "No-see^em." It is some- 

 what seldom, however, that the species caught in the act of biting can 

 be determined specifically. Mr. F. W. Thurow, Harvester, Tex., 

 sends specimens of Ceratopogon stellifer Coq., with report that it is 

 very common in that vicinity (Waller County), and that a great many 

 people have felt its bite. It is sometimes called sand gnat or sand try, 

 but all agree that it is very tormenting, and that it is worse near 

 creeks that are choked with logs than elsewhere. When our corre- 

 spondent first went to live in Texas he would pull off his shoes at 

 night and sit down to read. After a while his feet and hands were 

 burning as if he had been wading in nettles. For a long time he was 

 of the opinion that the trouble was nettle rash, on account of the 

 minute size of these little midges, which is well expressed by the 

 Indian name "No-see-'em.'- The bite of the flies appear to be more 

 intense about the wrists and ankles. 



THE QUAIL AS A DESTROYER OF CUTWORMS. 



November 14, 1902, Mr. W. F. Wever, Commerce, Tex., wrote in 

 regard to the effectiveness of the quail in restraining the multiplica- 

 tion of insects, more particular^ cutworms: 



My grandfather had a low piece of bottom land that cutworms were always very 

 bad in; and upon one occasion I shot a quail, in the edge of this piece of land. 

 When the negro woman went to dress the bird, its crop was so full that she cut it 

 open, and found 17 cutworms in it. That stopped the killing of quail, so far i\:- my 

 grandfather's place was concerned. I am satisfied that your Department could do 

 some splendid missionary work along this line. 



We frequently receive similar communications testifying to the 

 value of the quail as an insect destroyer, more particularly as a check 

 on the increase of the Colorado potato beetle (see Insect Life, Vol. IV, 

 p. 278, and Vol. V, p. 113). Within a radius of only a few miles of 

 the Capitol, quails are quite common during the summer months, and 

 come very close to cottages along the Potomac River front, and may 

 be seen crossing roads ahead of carriages almost as freely as barnyard 

 fowls; and it seems too bad that a bird which has a tendency to fre- 

 quent the vicinit}^ of farmhouses and fields of grain and other crops 

 where it would aid in the control of insect pests should be destroyed 

 by alleged sportsmen as soon as the open season begins. 





