  A preliminary analysis of the data from the MSX space infrared satellite,
seems to confirm that the [8.8]-[12.5] micron color index is well correlated
with the mass-loss rates in carbon stars of our Galaxy. The extension of this
mid-infrared observation criterion to the Magellanic Clouds, with a small-size
telescope, able to perform a continuous survey from Dome-C on the Antarctic
Plateau, could be crucial to trace the local AGB population and evolution.
