REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



341 



all diseases.* In 1874 the loss occasioned by the gnat in one county in 

 Southwest Tennessee was estimated at $500,000.t 



DAMAGE DONE BY EUROPEAN SPECIES. 



Closely-related species occur in Europe; one in particular has been ex- 

 tremely numerous for over two hundred years, in Hungary, particularly 

 in the vicinity of the town of Kolumbacz. Schoenbauer published in 

 1795 a work on this insect.* From his account it appears that the pest did 

 not appear every year in the same degree, and that rainy weather and 

 strong winds diminished their numbers. The flies appear first between 

 April 20 and 30, and are most numerous at the beginning of May. 

 They seek shelter from the rain and wind in the caves near the valley, 

 and cover the walls of the caves, as well as the interior of hollow 

 trees and the cracks of stone fences, to the thickness of a finger. In 

 1783, on the tract of land belonging to the imperial mining institution, 

 the following animals were killed by them: 20 horses, 32 foals, 00 

 cows and oxen, 71 calves, 130 hogs, and 310 sheep. Schoenbauer wit- 

 nessed the post-mortem of a horse killed by the gnats, and upon dissec- 

 tion it was found that not only was the anus entirely tilled with the flies, 

 but also the genital orifices, the nasal passages, and the bronchial tube 

 and its ramifications. As to remedies, he states that it is customary to 

 drive them away by smoke. A salve which he recommends very highly 

 for anointing the cattle is prepared as follows: Take 2 pounds of to- 

 bacco leaves and boil in 20 pounds of water until half is boiled away. 

 This decoction, poured from the leaves, is then boiled in a broad vessel 

 until of the consistency of honey. To this is added 1 pound old lard 

 and half an ounce of kerosene. With this the cattle should be smeared 

 every third day on their tender parts, and particularly nose, mouth, 

 ears, &c. 



From the time of Schonbauer to the present day the same species has 

 made its appearance, from year to year, in varying force, in that region ; 

 but four years since the following dispatch was forwarded to us by the 

 Department of State, and will indicate the amount of damage still being 

 done: 



Legation of the United States, 



Vienna, July 27, 1880. 



Sir: Some months ago a certain venomous fly, which has appeared at intervals, 

 issued in one or two swarms from a certain mountain in Hungary, called Columbatz, 

 and descended into the agricultural districts. It is callad the fly of Columbatz, as it 

 is not elsewhere found. Its haunt there is reported to be a hole or cave in the mount- 

 ain, where it preserves and propagates its species. From this habitation it issues, 

 under some impulse or instinct unknown, to attack living animals, and moves in a 

 furious swarm like the ancient migrating tribes of destructive warriors, who issued 

 from the dark forests of old Germany in the time of Ca>sar. Yet their physical struct- 

 ure is so delicate that a strong rainfall destroys them in myriads when exposed to 

 its force. 



In the spring of this year they were very destructive. A conception of the losses 

 they inflict may be formed from the official report made from one single county into 

 which they descended — the county of Huuyad. There were destroyed by them in 

 this county, this year, 158 buffaloes, 180 oxen, 175 cows, 56 calves, 49 sheep, 118 horses, 

 and 1,137 hogs. In one instance they attacked a man whose neck was exposed, and 

 whose life was in danger at the time the report was written. 

 I am, sir, your most obedient servant, 



JOHN A. KASSON. 



*Ann. Rept. Commissioner of Agriculture, 1872, p. 32. 

 t Field and Forest, v. I, p. 2 (June, 1875). 



t Schoenbauer, J. A. — Geschichte der schadlichen Kolumbatczer Miikken im Bnnnat. 

 Wien, Patzkowsky, 1795. An abstract of this work, by Snellen van Vollenhoveo, 

 entitled "Jets over de Colombatscker Mug," was published iu Jaarb. kgl. zool. 

 Genootsch., Amsterdam, 18(50, pp. 129-135, and was translated into German by Dr. C. 

 A. Dohrn, Stettiuer entoinolog. Zeituug, 1800, v. 21, pp. 306-319. 



