64 THE INSECT WORLD. 



" The position of a horned beast," observes the great naturalist, 

 " which has thirty or forty of these bumps on its back, would be a 

 very cruel one, and a terrible state of suffering, if his flesh were con- 

 tinually mangled by thirty or forty large worms. But it is probable 

 they cause no suffering, or at least very little, to the large animal. 



Fig 46. Bumps produced on Cattle by the larvae of the Bot-fly. 



Besides," continues Reaumur, " those cattle whose bodies are the 

 most covered with bumps, not only show no signs of pain, but it does 

 not appear that they are prejudicial to them in any way." 



Reaumur tried to discover how the larva, when arrived at its full 

 growth, succeeds in leaving its abode, as the opening is smaller than 

 its own body. 



" Nature," says Reaumur, " has taught this worm the surest, the 

 gentlest, and the most simple of methods, the one to which surgeons 

 often have recourse to hold wounds open, or to enlarge them. They 



