299 



eiglit inimites. Wbcu the cows were fed cottou seed or cottoa-seed 

 meal exclusively, the average time required for the churning at 68 to 

 76° Fall, was, in six cases, one hour and fifty-six minutes, while the 

 average of three churnings at 73 to 80° Fab. was only thirty-three 

 minutes. 



Quality of butter from sweet and sour cream, G. W. Cur- 

 tis, M. S. A. (pp. 15, 16). — In seven trials sweet cream, thoroughly mixed, 

 was divided into two equal weight parts, and one half churned imme- 

 diately, while the other was allowed to become slightly acid before 

 churning. In each trial nearly like amounts of butter were obtained 

 from the two portions. The samples were graded as above described. 

 The results, which are stated in a table, show scarcely a noticeable dif- 

 ference between the two kinds of butter, the diiference, if any, being 

 in favor of the sweet-cream butter, and chiefly in the flavor. 



Texas Station, Bulletin No. 12, September, 1890 (pp. 7). 



The screw worm, M. Francis, D. V. M. (pp. 21-25, illustrated). — 

 I^otes on the screw worm [Lucilia macellaria), supplementary to those 

 published in the annual report of this station for 1888. This Insect 

 causes serious injury to domestic animals in Texas, especially to cattle. 



They occur in wounds from horns, castrating, spaying, branding, dehorning, 

 barbed wire injuries, and often where ticks have burst on the brisket, flank, or just 

 behind the udder of cows. They often occur in the vulvae of fresh cows, especially 

 if there has been a retention of the placenta or after-birth. Young calves are al- 

 most invariably affected iu the navel and often in the mouth, causing the teeth to 

 fall out. One case occurred in the first stomach (paunch or rumen) that is worthy of 

 mention : Last September the writer had occasion to kill a Jersey bull calf, probably 

 two months old, that had screw worms in both hind legs just above the hock joint. 

 On opening the abdomen I found hair balls iu the stomach (rumen), and, to my sur- 

 prise, about twenty-five fully matured screw worms almost buried iu the wall of that 

 organ. I placed some of the worms in moist earth, and in ten to twelve days they 

 hatched out genuine screw- worm flies. How did they come there? My opinion is 

 that the calf licked the sores on his legs, and in doing so took in some eggs that 

 hatched and developed iu the stomach. * » • 



In all animals alike, the eggs, after being laid by the fly, batch into larvaj or so- 

 called " worms." The exact length of time this requires seems to vary with circum- 

 stances. My present opinion is that if the eggs are laid in a moist place and on a 

 warm day, it requires less than one hour ; whereas, if laid in a dry place they seem to 

 dry up and lose their vitality. The young larvte, when first hatched, are small and 

 easily overlooked. If hatched on the surface they attempt to perforate the skin, and 

 if hatched in wounds they at once become buried out of sight. They seem to 

 attach themselves by their heads and burrow their way under the skin, com- 

 pletely devouring the soft flesh. » * " They evidently produce considerable irri- 

 tation, for the part is always swollen and constantly bleeding. * * * At the end 

 of a week the worms leave the sore and go into the ground, where they pass their 

 pupa state and hatch out as flies in from nine to twelve days. Of several hundred 

 hatched out by the writer, the shortest time was nine days, and the longest fourteen 

 days, but iu the majority of cases it required from nine to twelve days. While the 

 larvae are thus developing the flies are constantly Laying fresh eggs iu the wounds, 

 60 that the young worms take the plaoj of the matured ones, and thus keep up a 



