
ENTOMOLOGY 977 
Ruttenia the type of a distinct subfamily, which for the time being may be placed 
in the Muscidae. Eventually it may be raised to family rank. 
Ruttenia loxodontis is the latest and by far the most interesting discovery 
made by my indefatigable friend, Dr. J. Rodhain, who during the past twenty 
years has been instrumental in unravelling many of the mysteries of the African 
bot-fly fauna. Attention may be called here to the fact that the Indian elephant 
likewise harbors a cutaneous fly larva, the identity of which is at present un- 
known. G. H. Evans! writes in this connection (p. 214): 
““Warbles or swellings due to the invasion of the subcutaneous tissues by the larva of one or 
more of the family Oestridae (gad-flies) are very common in elephants in various parts of the province 
[Burma] from the Chindwin to Tenasserim. As a rule they are numerous, but in some cases in 
the Meza forests mentioned by Mr. Petley of Messrs. Steel Brothers, the infestation was remark- 
able. He describes it as follows: 
“The elephants from which these bots were taken literally swarm with swellings in all parts — 
head, ears and body. The scars of recent eruptions are in some parts of the body so closely pitted 
as to impart to the skin a honeycomb appearance, showing that thousands of the parasites have 
burrowed out during the last few months. Curiously enough, only the elephants brought from 
India last year are affected, and no doubt their general unhealthy appearance is due to the presence 
of myriads of bots beneath the skin. In the elephants from which the specimens were taken the 
numbers were almost incredible.’ 
“How the larvae reach the subcutaneous tissues has not yet been rightly explained. Many 
theories have been advanced, but the more common one would seem to favour the idea that the 
egg is deposited directly on the skin and the larva in the initial stage of its development gains inlet 
either by the hair follicles or sebaceous glands to its resting place. 
“Symptoms. — Swellings, so-called boils or warbles, of varying size. When the larvae are 
well developed towards the end of April and May (most commonly here) they produce inflamma- 
tion and suppuration about them producing the so-called warbles. When the larvae are ripe they 
quit their abodes, usually stern first, after widening the openings. 
‘Treatment. — When the nature of the swellings is recognized a little pressure applied to them 
will materially assist in setting the larvae free. The abscesses should be treated in the ordinary 
manner. The larva of this fly is about one-quarter inch long and consists of some nine segments. 
The larvae should be destroyed.” 
It would be of considerable interest to investigate whether these Indian cu- 
taneous parasites are related to Ruttenia of the African elephant. 
SUBFAMILY MUSCINAE 
In addition to the genus Musca, which in Africa includes many species, 
probably all of medical or economic interest, the subfamily Muscinae contains a 
number of true blood-sucking forms. In some respects these are transitional 
between the ordinary house-fly and the blood-sucking Stomoxydinae. 
These hematophagous Muscinae have been placed in four different genera, 
viz., Philaematomyia Austen, Pristirhynchomyia Brunetti, Ptilolepis Bezzi, and 
Awatia Townsend. At present each of these genera, which are rather doubtfully 
distinct, contains only one species. In all of them, the proboscis is heavier and 
longer than in Musca, somewhat hardened and thickened basally; but it ends 
in fleshy labella armed at the tip with stout teeth. Although observation has 
shown that these flies ‘‘bite,” there is no actual piercing organ, since the fleshy 
termination of the proboscis is obviously incapable of being thrust into the skin 
1 Evans, G. H. 1910. ‘Elephants and their diseases.’ (Rangoon). 
