EEPOET OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 463 



While I have found gre'ase of almost any sort considerable pro- 

 tection early in the morning or late in the evening, when gnats were 

 not extremely abundant, I never found any substance upon which I 

 cared to rely solely for the protection of rny horse during days of 

 great abundance, and never ventured forth without slow-matches of 

 cotton-seed rolled in sacking, attached to the saddle, and moreover 

 never saw a careful planter who would do otherwise. 



The value of these oils and fatty substances as a means of protec- 

 tion may be briefly summed up as follows: For work animals only, 

 and when protection is needed only a portion of the day, and then as 

 against only limited numbers of gnats, they are very convenient and 

 useful, but for these, under other less favorable conditions, or for 

 stock running at large, they are of very slight practical value, and 

 their excessive use is almost sure to injure the animals to which 

 they are applied. 



Blooded stock, on account of its greater value, should be confined 

 in dark stables, this being the only absolute protection against gnats, 

 as they will not enter such places. 



DAMAGE SUSTAINED PREVIOUS YEARS. 



Under this head only fatal results can be averaged, although there 

 is but little doubt that the loss by reason of delay in plantation 

 work, inactivity of men and teams, loss of flesh in other than work 

 animals, and also through other causes, would overbalance the loss 

 by death- of animals. The former can not be computed, and only 

 fragmentary facts and estimates can be obtained as to the magnitude 

 of the latter. 



Gnats have occurred in great numbers in the valley of the Lower 

 Mississippi during the years, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1866, 1868, 1872, 

 1873, 1874, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, and 1887. The loss during 

 the first three years was of course sustained largely by the two 

 armies then in possession of the country. In 1866, Madison Parish, 

 Louisiana, sustained a loss of over 200 mules, and as many more died 

 in two adjoining parishes. In 1874, one county in Tennessee sus- 

 tained an estimated loss of $500,000. In 1882, Franklin Parish, Louis- 

 ia,na, within a single week, lost 3,200 head of stock. Not less than 

 300 mules were killed in three or four parishes of the same State the 

 present year, and each mule represented a value of not far from $125. 



^ These figures do not include such animals as died from cliarbon, a 

 disease said to be due to the effect of the bites of gnats, and particu- 

 larly fatal to mules, although death may not occur for several months 

 after being bitten. 



ATTACKING MAN. 



Owing to his being better protected and more capable of defend- 

 ing himself, man is much more exempt from attack than animals, 

 although instances of people being bitten by gnats are not uncom- 

 mon. That they will not hesitate to attack people, I have myself 

 had experience sufficiently conclusive. In moving about among the 

 great numbers which will collect about one's head, and especially the 

 face, ample opportunity is offered to study their malignant nature. 

 If not prevented they will dart at exposed parts of the body, and on 

 striking the skin of the face, in particular, will cause a smarting 

 sensation. The bite is very painful, and a discolored spot will often 

 remain long after all othei : effects have disappeared. 



