Reports to the Board of Agriculture. 131 



FuKTHEK Information re Warble Flies. 



lu answer to the query of a correspondent the following was sent 

 to the Board : — 



" Kypodcrma linenta (Villers) has long been known to occur in 

 this country, and always seems to occur in collections in excess of 

 H. hovis. That K. lineata was probably the commonest Warble Fly 

 in this country was pointed out to me some time ago. The Ijots sent 

 me were all examined, and I found them mostly Humid. Again, one 

 finds in referring to local lists such as " The Natural History of 

 Hastings and District" IT. lineata recorded, not IT. hovis. The differences 

 between these two species are very slight and would be easily over- 

 looked. If. bovis, for instance, was thought to be the common American 

 hot until the error was discovered. If. hovis, after all, does not seem 

 to occur in North America. It is eertainl}^ stmngi; that the closely- 

 allied hoi'ls has a different life-history, as it has according to Miss 

 Ormerod's publications. 



" H. I.incata is common in Europe from Norway to Italy and 

 the Caucasus as well as in America. 



" H. hovi^ has a much wider range, for it also occurs in Asia and 

 Africa. Although it does not, it seems, occur in America, yet cattle 

 present the same syni})toms of fright as in England, Hnrata being 

 their sole enemy. Curtice, Marlatt and others liave traced the life- 

 history of lineata so clearly we certainly cannot d(jubt its accuracy. 

 It is much more likely that the remarks are wrong over hovis. Kiley 

 was wrong in regard to the species, for hovis is now thought not to 

 occur in America, 



'' The statement that no oljservations have been made as to the 

 Hy attacking the legs is wrong, for one has only to turn to one of 

 Miss Crmerod's Keports to see that sucli is not the case, tlie following 

 observation being recorded: ' This one Hew at the legs and flanks of 

 a young ( luernsey bull.' 



" The dressing of beasts along the back 1 do not think can do 

 very much good, but the smell of the oil might keep the fly off. 



" I know of no definite observation regarding the eggs of hovis 

 being laid on cows' l)acks beyond Neumann's general remarks, and 

 he states no one had seen them [here. There is no reason why 

 cattle should be in more (h'ead of having the eggs laid on their backs 

 than on tlieir leijs." 



K 2 



