WARBLES. 448 



into contact with a thousandth part of them; nor can a lotion, 

 unless used in a quantity sufficient to kill the beast as well as those 

 that are feeding upon him. An ointment is the most convenient 

 application, and by dint of rubbing, a little of it may be made to go 

 a great way. The common scab ointment for sheep (one part of 

 strong mercurial ointment, and five of lard) will be effectual for this 

 purpose ; and if a little of it be well rubbed in, instead of a great 

 deal being smeared over the animal, there will be no danger of sal- 



ivnt.inn 



Homceopathic treatment.— Lice are destroyed in a few days with a 

 decoction of staphysagria, or with a pomade prepared with three 

 parts of axunge and one part of parsley-seed, pounded. 



WARBLES. 



Toward the latter part of the summer and the beginning of autumn, 

 and especially in fine and warm weather, cattle out at pasture are 

 frequently annoyed by a fly of the Diptera order and the (Estrus 

 genus, that seems to sting them with great severity. The animal 

 attacked runs bellowing from his companions, with his head and 

 neck stretched out, and his tail extending straight from his body, 

 and he seeks for refuge, if possible, in some pooror stream of wateV! 

 (The fly seems to fear or to have an aversion to the water, and 

 cattle are there exempt from its attack.) The whole herd, having 

 previously been exposed to the same annoyance, are frightened, and 

 scamper about in every direction, or, one and all, rush into the 

 stream. Under the excitation of the moment, they disregard all 

 control, and even oxen at work in the fields will sometimes betake 

 themselves to flight with the plough at their heels, regardless of 

 their driver, or of the incumbrance which they drag behind them. 



The formidable enemy that causes this alarm, and seems to inflict 

 so much torture, is the CEstrus Bovis, the Breeze, or Gad-fly, which, 

 at this time, is seeking a habitation for its future young, and selects 

 the hides of cattle for this purpose. It is said to choose the younger 

 beasts, and those that are in highest condition. There has evidently 

 been considerable exercise of selection, for a great many of the 

 cattle in the same pastures will have only a few warbles'^ on their 

 backs, while others will, in a manner, be covered by them. 



The oestnis bovis is the largest and most beautiful of this genus. 

 Its head is white, and covered with soft down — its thorax yellow an- 

 teriorly, with four black longitudinal lines — the centre of the thorax 

 is black, and the posterior part of an ashen color — the abdomen is 

 also of an ashen color, with a wide black band in the centre, and 

 covered posteriorly with yellow hair. It does not leave its chrysahs 

 state until late in the summer, and is then eagerly employed in pro- 



