THE BOLW FLY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2913, 17 March 1891, Page 3

THE BOLW FLY.

Many of our readers will dnubtloas have recently noticed upon the legs, neclts and brensts of their horses, numbers of small white objects, not altogether unhku (though smaller) the eKRs of the common blow fly. These are the eggs of the bot fly (iestrus eqm) and we are informed by farmers, carriers and others having much to do with horses, that they are more numerous this season than they have ever been. Whether the dump close weather !;ns hnd unythiiif,' to do with the development r'f the bills, we aru not aware, but in view of their rapid increase, the following particulars relatine to the habits and inture of the bot fly will be of intere-it. Tho female ti-it Hy (ie-trus equi) is too well known to need description. They lay their cKprs on the lcfrs, Hanks*, and other tiortinns cf the horses' body easily reached. The anitrml in licking its body tiikes the crfgs into its iiinnlh,'nnd beinß swallowed they hiitch, und the young fisten themsolves by means of their hooks to tho mucous membrane of the stomach. Here they live arid cruv, and thn next season become niiilun;d and are passed from the animal and undergo their transformation to tho perfect fly on the earth. So 1..n S as the animal is in perfect health, they do lii tic, if any, h inn. ISnt in case of disease ov in.-uHicrMit f 1 they become trouble-

s..iii,i; "i- if thin- iv;ist in larp- niiinhcis wl,i-:i nrvM-ly or full grown, and they are p-i-siiiK from ih» a.iimal, th-y C-W--I' -.ivi-rc injin-v by iiltacliincr t,.tlirs i: nsiti-.i;!i..iiii-f tho bo-.v.ls. T!,is irritation is not nasiiy .li^m f ~»i-hed fr.nn ot!;.'i- fonrs of indic.>'li»u or colic. In tho njirinu', when tli-i aiiimd i.-i hiincry, end Ihwi'is indicalion "f int.vstirrn! ditlicnlly, tliii.v may 1... , .-.iuri-otivl. if tho Imr.-o turns up his iiiipi-r lip. and it t!ui c;:j;os of tin: tiinjjufi are rrd i>nd ij.'ry loo!;intr, it will !e eviil.iiicn "f In; ir 'wi-UMii't , . As a. [irovi'ntii! ivo iipaiti.-t bots, l:e;-p tlm lonj,' Imir of the jiiw-;, b:i-a>t, and fm-olimbs trimmed cl. si , , and apply a little oil daily, andbiush i>U' any that hi iv he. found.