198 



MR. A. M. ALTSON ON THE LIFE -HISTORY AND 



supply of active paivasites so that by tlie end of the year there 

 would exist a large stock of hibernating material. 



It was not until October that the writer took specimens of the 

 parasites to Mr. J. Waterston at the Natural History Museum 

 for identification. The Braconid was identified as Alysia mandu- 

 cator Panz. and the Olialcid as JVasonia hrevicornis Ashm. 

 Mr. Waterston kindly brought to the writer's notice a paper by 

 Graham-Smith (1) in which these parasites were referred to. Up 

 to this time no reference to the Braconid was known, and that 

 the Chalcid should prove to be Nasonia hrevicoimis was not 

 anticipated, especially as the illustrations in Australian publica- 

 tions in the writer's possession depicted a female of this species 

 walking with an extruded ovipositor, a position which it only 

 assumes in death. 



Breeding Methods. 



After the first lots of the parasites had completed their work, 

 the several species of blowflies, which had been obtained from the 

 meat exposed in different localities, were segregated. 

 The species obtained were : — 



Blue Bottle Ccdlvphora erythrocejylicda Meig. 



,, vomitoria Linn. 



British Sheep Maggot-fly . . . Lucilia sericata Meig. 



Green Bottle ,, ccesar Linn. 



Green Bottle Phormia yrmnlandica Ztt. 



In addition to these, the Common House-fly, Musca domeslica 

 Linn., which is constantly bred at the College, was available. 



Upon Prof. Lefroy's advice as to the best medium in which to 

 breed the larvae, ox liver was used, and found very satisfactory. 

 A somewhat important point in this connection was that liver 

 could be procured easily as it did not fall within the scope of the 

 •• Meat Rationing Order," 



The liver was cut into small pieces, placed in glass receptacles 

 and put into the cages containing the diflferent species of " blow- 

 flies." As soon as it had been blown — that is, eggs deposited on 

 it — the receptacle was withdrawn and emptied into a glass dish, 

 in which additional pieces of liver wei'e put when the eggs 

 hatched. The receptacles were refilled and put back into the 

 cages when more eggs were required ; this method was continued 

 as long as larv?e or puparia have been required. The glass dishes 

 with the newly-hatched lain?e were placed in large trays of 

 18 inches diameter and 4 inches height, and which contained finely 

 sifted sand or soil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. It was found that 

 the full-grown larv?e invariably crawled out of the glass dishes, 

 and after roaming about on the sand, proceeded to disappear and 

 pupate. 



This method of breeding the blow-flies was successful with all 

 species except LucUia sericata\ the original lot of these were 

 obtained from the fleece of a " struck " sheep. A piece of sheep's 

 skin was obtained consisting of the tail and the whole of the anal 



