CORRESPONDENCE

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4379, 27 March 1893, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

The Bot Fly. [To the Editor W. D, Times] Sin,—As somo of our local liovso owners are seriou'sly conoerneJ by tho preseuco of tho bot fly, 1 tako the liberty of submitting to you a few notes gleaned by a brief study of different works by various authorities on the subject, Tho two varieties of bot fly with which horso owners arc most familiar are the spotted horse fly (Omleropldhz Equij and the red tailod horse fly (Gmlmphilus Eae» mrrkidalis). The first mentioned variety deposit thoir eggs on the flank, legs, and other parts of the body accessible to the tongue of the horso. The other selects tho lips of tho horse, and bonce is a sourco of much greater annoyance, often rendering horses unmanageable by its near pveaonco. In noithov variety does the malo annoy the horse: it is the female which is controlled by a strange instinct which occasions all the trouble, She hovers around the horse, which she has selected, until an egg is propelled through' the oviduct to the pincers at the end of her anal tube, end then makes a sudden descent upon the horso, fixing an egg on tho hair by means of a glutinous matter secreted along with it. This modus operandi is rapidly repeated until she has, perhaps, relieved herself of two or three hundred eggs. In licking itself the horso unconsciously carries out natures design, by ■ conveying the larva to his stomach, 1 where by means of a hook with which it is provided it Axes itself in the i inner coating of tho stomach, there i romaining—unless dislodged by medi: i cine—all the winter and spgyr months, enjoying tho warmtlbso- ' i lutely necessary for its Met development. At tho end summer i or in theautumn pon'tho larva, • i whioh hasuudergone somhange, dei taches itself and wilthe natural t i process, passes'away til the horse, j i and in a short time ernes from the i earth a perfect ancient of its kind.

Having had no past experience with the pest, and being totally unacquaiuted with its natural history, many oi our farmers are attributing to it mulignant propensities which in other countries havo not hitherto been characteristic of it. As a precaution and remedy some of our horse owners are washing their animals with a strong eolation of sheep dip. It is questionable if this will prove efficacious in tho destruction of larva of the fly, which for months can withstand the powerful action of the gastric juice of the stomach of the horso. But, however, the mere process of rubbing will remove ut portion of the eggs, and tho objectionable smell of the sheep dip will disincline the horse to lick himself. It is gratifying to know that thore is not a unanimity of opinion among authorities regarding the injurious effect of the hot on tbe horse. The following extract from Glatk's essay on hots will clearly sboiv this:— "Tho appearance of oxanthemouß eruptions on the skin and tho formation of local abscesses from tho same cause of partial irritation olten relieves a general disorder of the system. The mucous membrane of tho skin possesses this power when irritated in an imminent degree, and to this the larva of the aestri are applied. Irritating tho membranes of the stomach of other animals would excite nausea and vomiting, but the horse does not possess this power, his stomach is peculiarly fitted for tho stimulus of such animals." I am, etc., Settler.