97 



AN INTERESTING CASE OF MYIASIS. 



There was received in February, through the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, a specimen of a large maggot from Dr. H. H. Thorpe, of Liberty 

 Hill, Tex. This maggot, according to Dr. Thorpe, cut its way through 

 and came out of the scalp of a child about eight years old. One, still 

 smaller, cut its way out at the hip several weeks previously. As 

 described by Dr. Thorpe, there was first a swelling on the side of the 

 neck and high fever. The swelling gradually passed up the side of the 

 head, disappearing below, until it reached the top of the head. When 

 the maggot cut through the scalp and was taken out the swelling at 

 once subsided. 



Similar cases have been brought to the attention of this office on two 

 former occasions. Dr. J. M. Shaffer, of Keokuk, Iowa, wrote us, under 

 date of March 17, 1886, sending just such a larva, which was taken from 

 the back of a boy and exhibited at a meeting of the local medical society. 

 There were said to have been a number of curious spots or small 

 abcesses in the boy's back, aud in each of these was found such a mag- 

 got. In January, 1893, another similar maggot was received from Dr. 

 T. B. Eichardson, of Qroville, Cal., which had been squeezed from the 

 scalp of a child. 



The larva from Dr. Thorpe is a trifle over half an inch in length, and 

 closely resembles the third stage of the larva of Hypoderma lineata, the 

 common u ox bot" of this country, known locally in Texas as the "heel 

 worm." This insect, although occurring so commonly in cattle, attacks 

 human beings very rarely. The only recorded instance known to us is 

 recorded in Insect Life, Vol. II, pp. 238-239, and Vol. IV, pp. 309-310. 

 The latter reference calls attention to an article by W. M. Schoyen, the 

 Government entomologist of Norway, who states that such cases are 

 occasionally known in Sweden, and are there referable to Hypoderma 

 1)0 vis. 



THE EUROPEAN BAT BUG IN AMERICA. 



There is in Europe a close ally of the domestic bedbug known as 

 Acanthia pipistreUij which occurs upon bats. It has been supposed 

 that this insect might occur in this country, but it has never before 

 been recorded, so far as we know. In July, however, a specimen was 

 received from Mr. J. S. Holmes, of Bowman's Bluff, N. C, which he 

 took from the common bat known as Nycticejus crepuscular is, which 

 agrees perfectly with the description of the European Acanthia 

 pipistrelli. 



A RADICAL NOVELTY IN CHINCH BUG WORK. 



In the latter part of July, 1898, in several beautiful lawns in the city 

 of Brooklyn the grass was observed to turn brown in large patches. 

 Close examination showed that a small bug was present in numbers, 

 specimens of which were sent to this office by Mr. Lewis Collins, the 

 secretary of the Tree Planting and Fountain Society of Brooklyn. A 

 8193— No. 18 7 



