604 The Destruction of Noisome Insects . [October, 
introduce Entozoa into our systems, we do not even recog- 
nise verbally the importance of the Mosaic teachings. We 
eat “ blood puddings/’ we feed swine with blood and with 
semi-putrid offal, and then we eat the animals which have 
been gorged on this revolting diet. And we pay the price of 
this uncleanness in shortened lives and in waning vigour. 
We again call attention to the remarkable physiological in 
sight displayed in the sanitary code of the ancient Israelites, 
and we repeat the question, Whence did it spring ? 
VI. THE DESTRUCTION OF NOISOME 
INSECTS. 
By J. W. Slater. 
S N the September number of the “Journal of Science” 
(p. 437) I referred to the fly-fungus ( Empusa muscce) as 
a possible agent for the extirpation, or at least reduc- 
tion, of insedt intruders. Since those remarks I have had 
the opportunity of experimenting on the transfer of the 
fungus to other Dipterous species, and with but limited 
success. Having found three common flies which had 
perished of this affection in the usual manner, I carefully 
removed them from the window-panes on which they were 
fixed. On examination with a powerful lens their bodies 
appeared covered with a very luxuriant crop of the fungus. 
I placed them in a small vivarium, and turned in three blow- 
flies, a Stomoxys calcitrans, and two common house-flies in a 
healthy condition. Some sugar was supplied as food for the 
colony, and placed in such a manner that the flies in visiting 
it might be liable to come in contact with the three dead 
specimens. All the prisoners came in frequent contact with 
the presumed source of infection. The blowflies especially 
walked over the dead, pushed them about, and touched them 
with the rostrum. In course of time the two live common 
flies became languid in their movements, took up their sta- 
tion upon the glass, and finally died in the usual manner, 
their bodies and the glass for some little distance being 
