ANIMAL PARASITES OF CATTLE, 



513 



return to them. Scattering the droppings of cattle with a shovel, or 

 with brush dragged over pastures, in order to insure the rapid drying 



Fig. 7. — Hornflies (Lyperosia irritans) on cow horn. (From Bureau of Entomology.) 



of the manure and consequent destruction of the larvse, is, when 

 practicable, an efficient means of reducing the number of these flies. 



BUFFALO GNATS. 



These small flies, also known as black flies, are about one-eighth of 

 an inch long and have a characteristic "humped" back (fig. 8). 

 They breed in running water and 

 appear in swarms during spring and 

 summer, often in enormous numbers, 

 causing great annoyance to stock and 

 human beings, on account of their 

 bites and their entrance into the eyes, 

 nose, mouth, and other openings of 

 the body. Their bites appear to be 

 poisonous and in seasons especially 

 favorable to the gnats heavy losses of 

 horses and cattle often occur. 



Buffalo gnats are more trouble- 

 some in bright, sunny weather than 

 when it is cloudy, and animals which 

 have not shed their winter coats suf- 

 fer more from their attacks than 

 those with smooth coats. Cattle kept 

 in darkened stables are not molested. 

 The application of one of the fly re- 

 pellents already mentioned (p. 510) 

 will help to protect animals from buffalo gnats. The burning of 

 smudges is also a useful means of protecting stock from the attacks of 

 these flies. 



Fig. 8. 



-Buffalo guat. Enlarged. (From 

 Bureau of Entomology.) 



33071°— IG- 



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