I 12 
Second Report on Economic Zoology. 
GROUP D. 
Animals which concern Man as causing bodily injury, some- 
times death, to him, and in other cases disease, often of a 
deadly character. 
The Natal Maggot Fly. 
(Beng cilia depressa). 
The following information lias been received from Mr. F. P. 
Mennell, of the Rhodesian Museum, Buluwayo : — 
“ Like so many other undesirable insects, Bengctlia depressa seems 
to have its headquarters in Rhodesia, and its attacks have lately 
attracted considerable attention. It also ranges into British Central 
Africa and Uganda. Round Buluwayo, 4500 feet above sea level 
and 400 miles from the nearest point on the coast, it is common and 
lias a special native name which I cannot at the moment put my 
hands on, while at Salisbury (5000 feet) it is an even more serious 
nuisance.” 
Particulars regarding this noxious fly may be found in the 
Proceedings of the Rhodesia Scientific Association, vol. iv., pt. i., 
pp. 7-9. The fly attacks dogs and other animals, but its attacks on 
man are frequent, children, especially infants, being usually the 
sufferers. The fly deposits its eggs in the hair or the clothing, the 
latter being apparently often selected when hanging out to dry, so 
much so that in certain parts of tropical Africa it is dangerous to 
wear woollen clothing next the skin. 
The eggs appear to hatch out almost immediately and the larvae 
then bury themselves under the skin, where they give rise first to 
swellings and then to inflammation, which become so painful, owing 
to the movements and excreta, of the creatures, as to throw the 
patient into a violent fever. I believe that, if undisturbed, the 
larvae emerge in the course of about a fortnight and that pupation 
takes place on the ground. The fly itself is very sluggish and does 
not move about on windy days. It has, indeed, been suggested 
that their attacks take place at night, but I have had them settle on 
me in the day-time and have found them very difficult to drive 
away, but easily killed when they settle.” 
