THE ANIMAL CARRIERS OF DISEASES 



II. Hind metatarsi not incrassate and always longer than 

 the following joint. 



(a) Discal and basal cells united; anal cell absent; 



front bare, or at most bristly above; small, 

 usually light -coloured flies — OscinidcB. 



(b) Discal and second basal cells separated; anal cell 



complete, though small. Scutellum not elongate 

 and triangular, and without spines on margin. 

 Oral vibrissae present., Arista long plumose — 

 DrosophilidcB. 



Family Sepsid.?]:. 



The Sepsidse includes the genus Piophila, of which the species 

 Piophila casei Linnaeus may cause intestinal myiasis. Sepsis 

 violacea is a dung-fly often found in houses. 



Family Osginid^ Latreille, 1804. 



Muscoidea acalyptvatcB with front without bristles; crown with 

 only a few short bristles; border of mouth without vibrissae. 

 Middle tibia with small spurs; costa of wings without bristles. 

 Subcostal vein absent. Anterior of two small basal cells united 

 with discal cell; posterior wanting. 



The genera with which we are concerned are — Microneurum - 

 Becker, 1903, and Hippelates Loew, 1863. 



Microneurum Becker, 1903. 

 Microneurum funicola de Meijere, 1905. 



Synonym. — Siphonella funicola de Meijere, 1905. 



This little fly is the common ' eye-fly ' of Ceylon and Java, which 

 causes great annoyance by hovering in front of the eyes, especially 

 when reading or writing indoors. 



It is said to suck blood, but our experience is quite opposed to 

 this. It chiefly attacks the eyelids and the ears, and since the 

 experiments performed by Sir Allan Perry and Castellani it has been 

 suspected as a possible carrier of the Koch-Weeks bacillus, which 

 is the cause of severe attacks of conjunctivitis. It objects to the 

 odour of such substances as Odol, which may be used to drive it 

 away. 



Hippelates Loew, 1863. 



Some authorities consider this genus not well founded, and state 

 that a revision of the genera of the Oscindiae is urgently required. 



The species Hippelates flavipes Loew, H. plebejus Loew, and H. 

 pusio Loew, attack men and domestic animals by darting at the 

 eyes and other parts of the body in search of moisture or perspira- 

 tion. They also attack wounds, sores, scratches, ulcers. Their 

 life-history is unknown. In habits they are diurnal, frequenting 

 open and sunny places. They are found in the southern United 

 States, in Florida, Alabama, and Texas. Veils can be used as a 



