in this country at a ver}" early date, and ina}' have been the charac- 

 teristic bot-fly of our native buffalo and have been introduced into 

 Europe from this continent. Its great abundance, however, on our 

 domestic cattle, and its wide range in Europe, leave its origin open 

 to doubt. It is rather remarkable, on the other hand, that the 

 Hypoderma hoins has never been found in this country, occurring, 

 as it does, rather conmionly in Europe. Nevertheless, of the many 

 hundred larvae examined in this country by experts all of them have 

 proved to be lineata, and all of the captured and reared adult insects 

 of this nature in the various collections which have been examined 

 prove to be of this species. At the present time, therefore, so far as 

 known, no larvse or adults referable to hovis have been collected on 

 this side of the Atlantic. 



AMOUNT AND NATURE OF DAMAGE. 



Some years ago a careful investigation of the percentage of cattle 

 infested with the ox l)ot in this country w^as made by a western farm 

 paper. Froiii the averages reported from the chief cattle States of 



the Mississippi Valley it was shown that 

 50 per cent of the cattle received in the 

 Union stock yards at Chicago during 

 the grubby season, which includes the 

 months from January to June, were in- 

 fested and more or less injured by the 

 presence of the larvae of this insect. 

 The depreciation in the value of hides 

 from this cause w^as estimated at more 

 than a half-million dollars on the cus- 

 tomary reduction of a dollar for a grubby 

 hide. Adding to this the loss from the 

 'depreciated quality of the beef, together 

 with the lessened quantity of the same from the inferior condition of 

 affected animals, a total loss dviring the season in question was esti- 

 mated at over three million dollars. 



The appearance known as "licked beef," w^hich results from the 

 presence of the grub, and which may be described as a moist or run- 

 ning surface of a greenish-yellow color, frequently presenting a frothy 

 or jelly-like appearance, is sufficient to condemn it for use in all first- 

 class hotels and restaurants. 



The effect upon dairy animals has been estimated by Mr. T. D. 

 Curtis at a shrinkage of from 10 to 20 per cent of the normal yield. 

 In England Miss Ormerod has made an estimate of the loss resulting 

 from the presence of the larva3 of the Hypoderma hovis, basing her 

 figures on reports from various practical ]nen, showing a depreciation 

 of from £2,000,000 to £7,000,000 sterling per annum, or as nuich as 



-Hypoderma bovis — enlarged 

 (after Brauer). 



