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54 R. NEWSTEAD—THE PAPATACI FLIES (PHLEBOTOMUS) 
and angles of sleeping apartments should be sprayed with a 1 per cent. solution 
of this substance every day during the season in which the flies are prevalent ; 
a fine spraying apparatus is necessary for its application, and an excessive 
amount must not be applied. It is considered an excellent plan also to spray the 
mosquito curtains regularly every day towards sunset; nets thus treated are 
claimed to repel the attacks of these insects. 
Fumigation.—There are several substances which are employed as fumigants 
for the destruction of insects, but I fail to see the practical utility of employing 
such means for the destruction of Papataci flies in Malta or elsewhere. 
Light—Daylight is a most important factor in driving away these insects 
from man’s dwelling-places, and directly a flood of light is admitted to a room in 
which Papataci flies may be present, they immediately seek places of concealment 
behind garments or draperies and pictures, or other furniture which may be 
suspended from the walls or placed in dark corners. It is important, therefore, 
that as much light should be admitted into the rooms as is possible, and this can 
easily be done either in the early morning or evening, or when the windows are 
lying in shadow. 
Beds should be arranged in the best-lighted portions of the room, and on no 
account should children’s cots be placed in out-of-the-way corners in deep 
shadow. Decorative drapery in such apartments should be abolished, and the 
walls rendered as free from pictures and other furniture as possible. 
Artificial light does not, unfortunately, act as a repellent ; on the contrary, it 
would appear to serve as an attraction for these insects, as it is well known to do 
with other groups belonging to widely different orders. 
Artificial air movement.—In India, if not also in other parts of the tropics, 
it is a recognised fact that punkahs and fans will repel the attacks of mosquitos 
if continuously and properly employed. It seems to me, therefore, that if a 
similar method could be applied in Malta, we should be able to dispense with 
almost every other form of prophylaxis which is discussed in this report. As it 
has been abundantly proved that Papataci flies do not take to wing when the 
slightest breezes are blowing, one may safely infer that they would not face 
a strong current of air such as would be produced by either fans or punkahs. It 
is unlikely that the latter will ever be employed in Malta, but it is my firm 
belief that if electric fans were fitted so as to produce a current of air in the 
direction of the window in sleeping apartments, that very few, if any, of the flies 
would be able to pass through the open window into the room beyond. I 
venture to recommend, therefore, that this method be put to the test, and if 
found to give satisfactory results, that it be employed in all cases where the cost 
of running such an apparatus is not a serious consideration. 
Traps.—If a modified form of the biscuit-box trap, such as is used for 
capturing mosquitos, were fixed high up in the dark corners and angles of the 
rooms, I believe that numbers of Papataci flies would be entrapped. The trap 
should be made in the form of a corner-cupboard in miniature, and should 
measure about 18 inches in length ; the basal portion should be left open, and 
the interior should be lined with dark cloth or similar material. These should 
be examined daily and the flies killed with ammonia fumes. 
