Bots 333 



There is no treatment known that will remove the 

 bots ; they are extremely resistant to substances applied 

 to their bodies. The writer placed a portion of a horse's 

 stomach, with bots attached to it, in absolute alcohol, 

 and found the bots alive and active six hours afterward. 

 The only practical treatment is preventive, i.e., de- 

 stroying the adult fly as soon as she is observed about 

 horses, or scraping the eggs from the hair with a sharp- 

 bladed knife once a week. This practice will prevent 

 the eggs from hatching and the bots from getting into 

 the horse's stomach. The giving of medicines inter- 

 nally to remove bots is useless. 



BOTS IN CATTLE 



There are two cattle bot-flies, or "warble-flies" as 

 they are often called, that are closely related and 

 resemble each other in appearance and life -history. 

 Only one of these {Hypoderma lineata) is found in the 

 United States; this one occurs most frequently in 

 the southern parts, although it is generally dis- 

 tributed. 



The adult of this species is about the size of the 

 honey-bee. She deposits her eggs in summer on the 

 skin of cattle in the region of the heel, causing the 

 animal much discomfort. When the animal licks 

 the part, the eggs are taken into the mouth, where 

 they hatch ; and the larvae, after remaining for some 

 time in the esophagus, or gullet, finally work their 

 way into the cellular tissue beneath the skin of 

 the back. Here they remain and develop until early 



