Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/141

Rh not an Andrena, like those described in his paper in the last part of the 'Transactions' ("Notæ Dipterologicæ," No. 1).

Mr. M'Lachlan exhibited a case of a Lepidopterous larva sent by Dr. Kirk from Zanzibar, who had found it on a species of Mimosa. He considered it to be allied, probably, to Psyche and Oiketicus, and was remarkable on account of its form, which bore a striking resemblance to that of a flattened Helix. It appeared to be constructed of a substance resembling papier maché, with a smooth whitish external coating.

Mr. C.O. Waterhouse exhibited varieties of British Lepidoptera, viz., Chrysophanus phlœas, Polyommatus Adonis, P. Alexis and Agrotis exclamationis.

Dr. F. Buchanan White forwarded to the Society the following account of a case of "Pruritus from an Unusual Cause," by Dr. Tilbury Fox, extracted from the 'Medical Examiner' of 21st December, 1876: —

"At the end of July, 1876, a gentleman resident in the Eastern Counties noticed on the eyelid of his infant a small red speck, which on examination with a hand-microscope proved to be a living parasite, partially imbedded in the skin. Several days subsequently his wife was greatly annoyed by pruritus, and her neck and chest were found studded here and there with these little red specks, which at first sight were thought to be "petechiæ," but turned out to be insects. They could be readily extracted with a pin. In the attempt to discover the source whence the parasites came, a pet pug dog was examined, and then collections of these parasites on the nose and between the eyes—where, in fact, the hair was least thick—were discovered. During August the little red visitors caused excessive annoyance to the servants and everyone in the house, defying all remedial measures, though some members of the household were very much less affected than others. Remove them as you would, the next day a fresh supply appeared, and the insects were found on the arms of the infant as well as the face, on the back, neck and chest, and even the nipples of the adults. A favourite long-haired French cat was examined, because one of the family after nursing it was greatly annoyed, and the ears were found infested. The hair fell off, leaving bald patches where the parasites were congregated on the dog and the cat. In the middle of August the animals were shut up, isolated, and regularly dressed with equal parts of sulphurous acid and glycerine, and the plague began to diminish at once. The members of the household had tried citrine ointment, compound sulphur ointment, detergent solution of tar, &c.; but still the nuisance continued in some degree, and a second cat was found affected. But when all the animals were shut out of the house the mischief did not cease. There was some doubt and difference of opinion with regard to the exact species of the parasite. A specimen was submitted to my friend Dr. Cobbold, and he pronounced it to be Trombidium, or garden mite,