KEINDEER 1^" ALASKA. 61 
improved very greatly in size and condition. The owner stated that 
his losses in fawns during the summer had been only six animals. 
Further support can be brought to show that this improvement was 
not mere accident. Some 200 animals belonging to this herd were 
removed early in the season to another allotment. These were also 
inspected during September, and four fawns and two adults were 
killed on account of skin troubles (dermatitis). The fawns were 
found quite free from evidence of tapeworm infection, that is, those 
forms which are derived from dogs, and no other worms were found 
in the animals. It is, of course, possible that a few minute worms 
may have been overlooked, but the fact remains that the fawns were 
clean and healthy in every particular, except for the aforementioned 
skin troubles. At the same time, the two older reindeer which were 
slaughtered still harbored a considerable number of parasites. The 
obvious lesson to be derived from this experience is that once reindeer 
are infected with parasites, they are apt to retain some species for 
long periods and to be capable of passing them on to other animals, 
especially the young, providing they are kept in close contact, or, 
in other words, close herded for too long periods on the same piece of 
ground. 
In the example just cited we have a herd full of parasites. The 
animals are put on new ground and are kept constantly moving at 
two-week intervals during the warm months, when parasites are 
most readily transferred. The fawns grow up strong and healthy 
without parasites, though their mothers are infected. The reason 
for this healthy condition and freedom from parasites is that the 
worms which leave the mother reindeer in her feces take some days 
to hatch upon the ground and to reach a stage where they are ready 
to infect new hosts. It is hoped that future investigations will yield 
definite facts as to the exact time required for the various parasites 
to hatch on the ground and become infective for other animals. At 
the present time, and until proper open herding methods are used, 
it is recommended that during the warm season, particularly from 
June to the end of September, the herds be moved at least every 
two weeks to fresh ground and that the animals be not brought back 
to graze on areas which have been considerably used earlier in the 
season. Worm larvae are very resistant and will remain on the 
ground for long periods waiting to attack their hosts. 
WARBLE FLIES (OEDEMA GENA TARANDI). 
The warble fly of reindeer is a beelike insect of yellowish orange 
coloration. The life history will be given only briefly in this bulle- 
tin, as it is proposed to publish later a more detailed account of the 
insect. The fly is on the wing in the latter part of June and has 
