cated that 527 mules hac been killed in the counties of Monroe, Phillips, Lee,. 
Cross, anc Lonoke. This killing of mules led to a great deal of publicity — 
Deing ¢iven the outbreak and the gnat stories appearing in the press were indi- 
cative of the lack of exact information on this pest. In Mississippi there has 
been no serious gnat outbreak this year although such outbreaks have occurred 
in that state in former years, Mr. Bradley's studies have indicated that temper 
ature, coupled with river conditions, has a great deal to do with gnat outbreaks, — 
This year in Arkansas temperatures were ‘subnornal during February: and March, and 
the rivers were low until late in March, when a flood stage occurred which lasted 
until about the middle of April. Gnat pupal skins found on vegetation above 
water indicated that the adult gnats had energed during the period of high water. 


es omen 
arrivec in New York City on May 28 fron Panama, where he carried on sone medical 
Anopheles albimanus Wied, in various parts of Gatun Leake, This mosquito is the 
main vector of malaria in’the Zone. It is found breeding in large numbers in 
parts of the lake that have surface mats of aquatic plants of the senus Chara, 
Since Gatun Lake has more than 1,000 miles of shore line ané the Chara is found . 
‘in many parts of the lake the problem of destruction of ‘the plant is a tremendous 
one. Some tests of chemicals made by Dr, Bishopp indicate that copper sulphate 
is fairly effective if used in rather concentrated form, Other chemical weed 
killers did not give encouraging results. Sone attention was Given to various ¢ 
other insects affecting man and livestock, including possible transmitters of 
the trypanosome disease of horses known as Murina. Horn flies, horse bots 
(Gasterophilus intestinalis DeG.), and cattle crubs (Hypoderma spp.) were found 
hot to occur in the Zone‘or in edjacent Panama, Among the poultry parasites 
taken were specimens of an undescribed species of Lipeurus on chickens; also 
several lots of L. tropicalis, recently described by KH, S. Peters. No specimens — 
of the common chicken ‘body louse (Zonenacanthug stranineus Nitz.), the fluff louse. 
(Goniocotes hologaster Nitz.),or the common chicken hea louse (L. heterographus 
Nitz.) were found. The latter eppears to be replaced in the tropics by L. tropi- 
Calis. What appears to be the buffalo louse (Haematopinus tubercglatus Mitz & 
Gibel) was found infesting dairy cattle at Cristobal, Canal Zone, The ‘switche s 
of the tails of these cattle ware heavily infested with the short-nosed ox louse 
(H, eurysternus Nitz.). Ticke were found to be less abundant. than ‘was anticipated, 
The Australian cattle tick (Boophilus anmlatus australis Fuller) was present m 
early all cattle and Cipping of dairy herds is practiced. The cayenne tick 
fAublyorma cajennense Fab.) was sonewhat annoying to man on Barro, Colorado Islmd, 
ond in pasture lands in the Republic of Panama, i 

_ During his stay Dr, Bishopp was invited to attend and address a meeting of. 
the Canal Zone Medical Society at the Gorgas Memoriel Laboratory. He presented 
a resume of the recent CWA Pest Mosquito Control Project in the United States, 
sctoparasites presented to the Bureau, —-M, A. Carriker, Jr., of the Acadeny 
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Pa, spent May 28 working over the Mallophe ga 
Collection of the Division, Mr. Carriker has been collecting birds in Peru durin; 
the past 3 years and presented the Division with a number of ticks and other ecto~ 
porasites “rom Peruvion birds and animals. On June 9 he sailed for ¢ months of col 
lecting in Bolivia, On his return he intends to work up the Mallophaga obtained 
in Pern and Bolivia, 
