134 LETTERS TO MR. GIBB. [CHAP. xv. 



description and nature of the fly than can be needed, but it 

 would help me very much indeed to have a recipe for any 

 application which was really known to answer in keeping 

 the attack off riding horses. I am sure you would allow 

 me to add this to my leaflet, acknowledged to you. I make 

 no doubt quantities of things, especially of the nature of 

 soap or soft soap (not caustic) or lard, and a little paraffin 

 or sulphur, would with careful attention keep the flies from 

 congregating permanently, but the thing in hand is to 

 prevent them coming at the horses and causing dismal 

 downfalls ! I have heard lately of a plan of rubbing horses 

 with paraffin very efficacious, I should expect, but not the 

 thing to benefit the clothes of the riders ! 



Q 



i and 2, natural^ size and magnified from life ; 3, pupa removed from 

 puparium (after Reaumur) ; puparium, natural size and magnified, before 

 complete coloration. 



FIG. 18. FOREST FLY, HIPPOBOSCA EQU1NA. 



Wednesday night, May i, 1895. 



I am exceedingly obliged to you for your most helpful 

 letter and the live specimen, which I learnt a great deal 

 from, before we re-captured it, and stopped its activity with 

 some benzine. It slipped out of my fingers somehow, out 

 of your careful packing, and kept flying at my light woollen 

 shawl, varied by taking a promenade (which I was very 

 conscious of) on the top of my head. It struck me as 

 suggestive that it selected me (not my sister or our house- 

 keeper) for this purpose, because I never use any kind of 

 pomatum. I like my hair as smooth as can be, so the creature 

 did not establish itself, but judging by feeling, it had much 



