SHEEP. 



to lay its eggs on tlie inner margin of 

 the nostril of the sheep, whence, 

 hatched by tlic warmth and moisture 

 ol'tlie silualion, and as.siiminir its lar- 

 va form, it crawls into the nostril in 

 order to reach th<^ frontal situis, or 

 cavities in tli(! skull bone. Instinct- 

 ively alarmed by the buzzing of the 

 fly, or the motions of the larvae, the 

 sheep congregate with their heads in 

 the centre, pawing continually with 

 their feet, and expressing their dislike 

 and fear in every possible way. It re- 

 mains in the sinus a certain period, 

 untd it has attained its full growth, 

 when it endeavours to escape, in or- 

 der to undergo another transforma- 

 tion. It escapes from the nostril, 

 burrows in the earth for a while, as- 

 sumes its pupa state, undergoes its 

 final change, and assumes the form 

 of a fly, and then becoming impregna- 

 ted, seeks again the nostril of the 

 sheep. All that can be done with re- 

 gard to this nuisance is to destroy the 

 flies, which are generally to be seen 

 on the walls or pales in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the flock, and which the 

 shepherd, or shepherd's boy, should 

 be taught to recognise. 



"Another parasite is a species of 

 hydatid, tlie Canurus, or Hydahs 

 polyccphabts ccrebralis. It has the ap- 

 pearance of a bladder, sometimes 

 filled with pellucid water, or, occa- 

 sionally, with myriads of minute 

 worms, or smaller hydatids. Its res- 

 idence is the brain, cither beneath 

 the inner membrane of the brain, or 

 in the fissure between its two hemi- 

 spheres. The origin of it is not clear, 

 except that it is connected with bad 

 management, being scarcely known in 

 upland pastures, or in grounds that 

 have been well drained. As the par- 

 asite grows, it presses upon the 

 neighbouring substance of the brain, 

 and interferes with the discharge of 

 its functions. There is an aberration 

 of intellect ; the sheep is frightened 

 at any trifling or imaginary object ; he 

 separates himself from his compan- 

 ions ; he commences a strange rotato- 

 ry motion even while he grazes, with 

 the head always turned towards the 

 same side. This is the characteris- 

 710 



tic symptom, and as soon as it is per- 

 ceived the animal should be destroy- 

 ed, for there is no certain cure, and 

 many of the operations that some 

 I)ersons have described are cruel and 

 incflicient. The duty of the farmer 

 is to destroy the sturdicd sheep as soon 

 as the disease is ascertained, howev- 

 er poor it may be in condition." 



It may be well to remark, that 

 when the hydatid is situated near the 

 bone, and especially in the forehead, 

 between and above the eyes, the skull 

 becomes soft at the place, and this 

 being discovered, a cure has some- 

 times been effected by cutting down- 

 ward through the soft bone, so as to 

 reach the hydatid ; if this is cut 

 through, it frequently dries ; and 

 should there be no more, a cure oc- 

 curs. The puncture should not reach 

 to the brain ; half an inch is enough. 



" A somewhat similar disease, but 

 with which the hydatid has nothing 

 to do, is Hydrocephalus, or water in the 

 head, generally indicated by a little 

 enlargement of the. skull, a disincli- 

 nation to move, a slight staggering 

 in the walk, a stupidity of look, and 

 a rapid loss of condition. This dis- 

 ease seldom admits of cure or pallia- 

 tion. If any amendment can be ef- 

 fected, it will be by the administration 

 of good food, tonic medicine, and gen- 

 tle aperients. "When water in the 

 head is an occasional visitant in a 

 flock of sheep, there is something 

 wrong in the land, or its management, 

 or in the nature of the food, or the 

 character of the sheep. 



"Another species of pressure on 

 the brain is of too frequent occur- 

 rence — Apoplexy. A flock of sheep 

 shall be in apparently as good and 

 fine condition as the farmer can de- 

 sire. They have for a considerable 

 period grazed on the most luxuriant 

 pasture, and are apparently in the 

 highest state of health. By and by, 

 one or more of them is, without any 

 previously observed change, sudden- 

 ly taken ill. He staggers, is uncon- 

 scious, falls, and dies, and perhaps 

 within a quarter of an hour from the 

 first attack. With regard to how 

 many over-fattened sheep is this the 



