134 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



more, in length and clothed with wool-like hair. The 

 body between the wings is covered with reddish or 

 olive-brown hairs, and some black or dark markings ; 

 but the mixture of black, whitish, yellowish, and brown 

 hairs, makes it very difficult to describe the coloring 

 clearly, and the descriptions of the writers vary very 

 much. The two wings (Fig. IX.) are generally 

 transparent, though sometimes opaque, and white with 

 a smoky or brownish cross-band, the legs being 

 yellowish -brown . 



The male (Fig. VI.) is rounded at the end of the 

 abdomen, commonly called the tail ; the female is more 

 prolonged to a bluntly pointed shape, but when at rest 

 this part, which includes the ovipositor or egg-laying 

 apparatus, is covered under the body. When the fly is 

 about to lay, she hovers for a moment or so about the 

 horse, then, darting down, leaves an egg on a hair (see 

 Figs. I. and II.), fixed by a kind of gummy matter 

 to the hair she has selected, and she so goes on until 

 her stock of eggs is exhausted. The eggs are yellowish - 

 white, about one-twelfth of an inch in length, spindle- 

 shaped at one end, and attached by the narrow end, 

 the truncate end being free and pendant, and several 

 eggs may be placed on the one hair ; and it is stated 

 that several hundreds may be found on the one horse. 



The hair of the mane and shoulders are parts specially 

 chosen for egg-laying, so that commonly the horse on 

 which they are laid can reach them with its tongue ; 

 but, if not, the nibbling or licking of one horse by 

 another, which may often be seen going on in the field, 

 answers every purpose for maggot transportation. 

 There appears to be some difference of opinion, as 

 expressed by various writers, as to the conditions in 

 which the infestation is carried into the mouth. It may 

 be that the egg itself is carried in on the tongue ; but 

 one of the more recent views is, that the warm moisture 

 of the horse's mouth hatches the eggs, or rather frees 

 the maggots from the eggs if hatching time is near. 



