THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 809 
flock, and the per centage of deaths will be much greater the 
longer.it is continued. ‘To illustrate my meaning in another 
way:—Supposing a farmer equally divides a flock of four 
hundred ewes, and continues to interbreed with two hundred, 
while for the other two hundred he goes to some ram- 
breeder who, he knows, is continually importing fresh blood 
into his flock, the result will be that, although both flocks are 
kept side by side in the same field, the young of the former 
only will go giddy; and if, by chance, one should go giddy 
from the latter flock it would point to some indiscretion 
in breeding in a former generation. Now, if in such very 
plain and straightforward cases as quoted above the mischief 
is caused by a‘ fly,’ how does the insect discriminate between 
the two flocks? There may be two kinds of giddiness; but 
the above is the only form with which I am acquainted.”— 
Henry Reeks. 
4. Flesh-flies or blow-flies. — Mr. Reeks, in answer to an 
inquiry of mine, says:—“ These flies deposit their eggs or 
living larve in the wool of sheep, generally about the root 
of the tail or behind the shoulders, anywhere, in fact, where 
the wool is most greasy. The larve of these flies are most 
troublesome to shepherds in the latter part of May and June, 
until the sheep are sheared, and much later in the summer 
with lambs, unless they are dipped in a preparation of arsenic 
and soft-soap.”—Henry Reeks ; North End, East Woodhay, 
Newbury. 
Having for many years been acquainted with the mis- 
chief done by these flies, often causing death to the sheep 
and great loss to the farmer, | am most anxious to learn, 
entomologically, to what species they really belong; and I 
shall be truly grateful for any information tending to clear up 
this very obscure point. The larve or maggots cannot, I am 
aware, be obtained without considerable trouble; nor can the 
flies be reared from them without care and perseverance ; yet 
as the subject is one of such great importance to the sheep- 
owner, I trust [ shall receive the help required. 
Haltica fuscicornis an enemy of seedling Saintfoin and 
other Leguminose.—Mr. Reeks has sent me more than fifty 
specimens of a small beetle, which is now doing incalculable 
injury to the young plants of saintfoin, &c. Directly these 
seedlings make their appearance above ground the beetles 
