202 



THE HORSE. 



siderable size, d, and being destined to undergo a certain transformation, 

 it disengages itself from the cuticular coat, is carried into the villous por- 

 tion of the stomach with the food, passes out of it with the chyme, and is 

 at length evacuated with the dung. 



The larva or maggot being thus thrown out seeks shelter in the ground, 

 contracts in size, and becomes a chrysalis or grub ; in which state it lies 

 inactive for a few weeks, and then, bursting from its confinement, assumes 

 the form of a fly. The female, becoming impregnated, quickly deposits her 

 eggs on those parts of the horse which he is most likely to lick, and so the 

 species is perpetuated. 



There are several plain conclusions from this history. The bots cannot, 

 while they inhabit the stomach of the horse, give the animal any pain, for 

 they are fastened on the cuticular and insensible coat. They cannot stimu- 

 late the stomach and increase its digestive power, for they are not on the 

 digestive portion of the stomach. They cannot, by their roughness, assist 

 the trituration or rubbing down of the food, for no such office is performed 

 in that part of the stomach — the food is softened, not rubbed down. They 

 cannot be injurious to the horse, for he enjoys the most perfect health 

 when the cuticular part of his stomach is filled with them, and their pre- 

 sence is not even suspected until they appear at the anus. They cannot 

 be removed by medicine, because they are not in that part of the stomach 

 to which medicine is usually conveyed ; and if they were, their mouths are 

 too deeply buried in the mucus for any medicine, that can safely be 

 administered, to affect them ; and, last of all, in due course of time they 

 detach themselves, and come away. Therefore, the wise man will leave 

 them to themselves, or content himself with picking them off when they 

 collect under the tail and annoy the animal. 



The smaller bot, /and g-, is not so frequently found. 



INTESTINES. 



The food having been partially digested in the stomach, and converted 

 into chyme, passes through the pyloric orifice into the intestines. 



CUT OF THE INTESTINES. 



