THE GAD-FLY, WURBLES, OR WORMALS 483 



and it has become dry, then a pledget covered with 

 tar-ointment should be applied to the parts. 



For the horny fouls, if the hoof feels very warm, 

 and the animal manifests pain on pressure being 

 applied to the parts, and they feel hard underneath, it 

 will then be discovered that a horny substance is 

 penetrating into the softer parts of the foot, either 

 between the two halves of the hoof, or at the heels ; 

 these horny parts must be eradicated by cutting. In 

 performing this operation, it will be necessary to 

 throw the animal on some soft ground, or upon straw, 

 the more easily to effect the cutting. After this is 

 done, let the parts be rubbed with the above lotion, 

 and the whole foot wrapped round with a cloth 

 moistened in it. The animal may then be turned out 

 to a soft pasturage. Should, however, the inflamma- 

 tion not subside in a couple of days, bleeding from the 

 veins of the foot will be necessary. 



THE GAD-FLY, WURBLES, OR WORMALS. 



The gad-fly is exceedingly troublesome to cattle 

 during the summer months, more especially in very 

 hot seasons. This has been minutely investigated by 

 Mr Bracey Clarke, and is scientifically called by him 

 cestris bovis, or ox-fly. It has otherwise been called 

 the breeze-fly. Their bite is very painful, and always 

 creates a small swelling in that part of the skin 

 penetrated by its tongue. But that evil of which we 

 are about to treat has been successively denominated 

 wurbles, or wormals, probably a corruption of worm- 

 holes, which are frequently found on the backs of 

 cattle. The female gad-fly, which produces these 

 humours, we have represented in Plate x, fig. 15. 

 From the observations of the celebrated naturalist and 



