G. D. BHALERAOG. D. BHALERAO 125
Attempts to feed flies in captivity on human
blood exuding from a prick, on raw meat exud
ing serum, on sugar solution, and on fresh cow-
dung have all failed, though as noted under
larviposition, this is sometimes sucked" at in
nature.
The species resembles the non-biting haema-
tophiles in that it is never seen so engorged
that it cannot fly well, unlike Stomoxys, which
engorges until it can hardly move, and ingested
blood never shows so clearly through the abdo
minal well as, for example, in M. ventrosa.
Even full term females are fairly nimble.
The species always rests on the upper side
of grass blades etc.—the only exception to this
was a male taken when the weather was just
clearing after a heavy all-day down-pour.
Whatever the species does during the day,
and it is very hard to find them, about an hour
before dusk both sexes commence to settle on
grass in the vicinity of cattle, but whereas
breeding results show that the sexes emerge in
approximately equal numbers, catching in such
a situation produces females to the extent of
⅞th of the total. Three-quarters of the males
produced are not present, though these obser
vations were made in a spot separated from the
next cattle shed by half a mile of a thick stand
of rubber trees.
Fortunately adult catches between 5 p.m. and
6 p.m. over the same period as the breeding
observations gave the following results:
Caught
♂
24
Per cent
♀
169
blood +
Total
193
Males
blood
+
0
0
blood
—
24
..
Females full term
blood
+
50
59
blood
—
34
...
Total
84
...
Females pregnant
blood
+
32
57
blood
—
24
...
Total
56
...
Females uterus
blood
+
13
45
blood
—
16
...
Total
29
...
The females therefore feed at all stages of
gestation. Owing to failure to observe actual
feeding, how many meals are necessary to
mature a single egg to the third stage larva is
not known.
Parasites. M. planiceps is parasitized by the
Staphylinid, Aleochara trivialis Kraatz. The
method of attack is unknown.
The larvae
emerge from puparia simultaneously or a day
or two later than the flies of the same genera
tion. The bright yellow beetle larvae imme
diately pupate in earth in a cocoon of soil parti
cles webbed with silk. I have found earth con
taining puparia felted with their webbing. The
pupal period is approximately 16 days.
The percentage of parasitization may be very
heavy, varying from 10 per cent in June to 78
per cent in November. The parasite is not al
ways present.
A marked male, recaptured 96 hours after re
lease in October, showed, on the leg lopped
through for identification, the fungus Stigmato-
myces baeri, common on Musca species all
round the World. The specimen was practically
mature, though none of the ascospores had been
ejected. Mr. Petch, then Ceylon Government
Mycologist, who identified the fungus, informed
me that he believed that this observation gives
the first record of the duration of development
of this fungus.
No intestinal flagellates were found in a pair
with empty guts.
REFERENCE
Patton and Evans, (1929) "Insects. Ticks and Venomous
Animals", Part I
CHEMOTHERAPY OF HELMINTHIC INFECTIONS OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS
By G. D. BHALERAO, D. Sc. (London), Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar
(Received for publication on 21 August 1943)
THE object of this communication is to provide
information concerning drugs that have been
successfully used in the treatment of ailments
caused by helminth parasites in common
domesticated animals. References have been
made to such drugs as have come into promin
ence during the past decade and a half. The
names of proprietary preparations, whose com
position has not been disclosed, have been
omitted. References to drugs, which have