146 COTTON PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



and many more might be cited. I, however, will mention 

 another to which I was an eye-witness. About eighteen years 

 ago, the green or blow-fly became so numerous that thousands 

 of animals perished by them, also some human beings. The 

 least spot of blood, the moisture of the mouth, eyes or nose, 

 was sufficient to cause a deposit of eggs. Sick persons, par- 

 ticularly those who had not proper attention, suffered. Several 

 negro children, who came under my notice, fell a sacrifice 

 to them ; and it was with difficulty that many others were 

 saved. In these instances, the fly deposited the eggs within 

 the nostrils, where they soon caused death by producing in- 

 flammation of the brain. This fly is annual, and scarcely ever 

 deposits its eggs on an animal, except it be the victim of a 

 running sore ; but at the period alluded to above, it appeared 

 that there was scarcely animal flesh enough to feed the mag- 

 gots of this numerous host. It is but once within my recol- 

 lection that I have witnessed this phenomenon ; and neither 

 before nor since have I heard of such ravages of the green-fly. 

 Why they should have existed in such incredible numbers at 

 the time referred to, is a question not to be easily answered. 



There are three circumstances upon which I found my 

 arguments in support of my hypothesis of the cotton-fly : 

 First, Nature has made no provision by which it could survive 

 the winter season. Second, The irregularity of their appear- 

 ance. Third, Their progress from south to north, and from 

 west to east. 



It may be remarked, on proposition first, that all insects in- 

 cluded within the genus phalcna, hibernate in the state of a 

 chrysalis, therefore it is utterly impossible for the cotton.fly to 

 hibernate in that manner, as they remain but ten days in 

 chrysalis. The fly does not hibernate, for the period of their 

 existence is but ten or twelve days. It cannot be in the state 

 of the egg, for it is a law equally inflexible with regard to this 



