362 THE DOMESTIC SHEEP 



make a slower progress as the flock is more able to resist the ad- 

 vances of the parasites. 



"The fittest survive." This is one of the organic laws of the 

 universe, and in addition to all the precautions by which these 

 pests are destroyed, as by the semi-annual dipping, and by every 

 precaution against infection, by dipping thoroughly every exposed 

 animal brought into a flock, we must secure exemption from this 

 worst of all ailments of the sheep. The old sheep, too, should be 

 dipped in time to secure the lambs against infection, and what- 

 ever sheep are found to be suffering from the parasite should 

 be most carefully isolated until treatment can be used to disin- 

 fect them. In using any dip it will be found desirable to prepare 

 the sheep by a previous application, by which the scabs may be 

 softened and to break these up at the same time by some rough 

 means, as by a bundle of corn cobs so arranged as to effect this 

 purpose in a thorough manner. For it will be obvious that unless 

 the crusts are broken into, so that the dip will reach the insects, 

 much of the effect of the dipping will be thrown away .uselessly. 

 In short, in this, as in all similar operations of the shepherd, 

 that valuable quality known as gumption is to be made use of in. 

 a thorough manner. 



We prefer to say nothing as to the dips, except to guard our 

 readers against the far too acrid sulphur-and-lime mixture, on ac- 

 count of its bad effect on the fleeces of sheep dipped in a precau- 

 tionary manner, and as a preventive of the disease. There are 

 so many good and safe dips in the market that it will be found 

 best to depend on those which are made under accurate methods, 

 as to quantities and qualities, and follow the expert advice in 

 their application, and so avoid misuse or ineffective work, 

 and also the certain injury to the fleece which is one sure 

 result of this too acrid dip referred to. For it is a matter of ex- 

 perience that the saving of this loss will not only insure success 

 in the work, but wijl pay the whole expense of it. 



THE MAGGOT. 



The maggot is a larvae of the common flesh fly (sarcophaga 

 carnaria), the blue-bottle fly (musca Caesar), and the meat fly 

 (musca vomitoria), all of which deposit eggs on decaying animal 



matter. These eggs or larvae are 

 deposited in vast numbers in 

 sores or wounds or where sheep 

 become filthy when troubled with 

 diarrhea. A single Sarcophagus 

 sometimes contains twenty thou- 



FIG. 3Q.-Maggot Fly. sand eggs. The maggot attacks 



the skin, causing extreme irrita- 

 tion and finally a serous fluid; the skin is pierced and the flesh 

 supperates and wastes away, being literally eaten up by the 

 multitudes of maggots crawling over it. Wet seasons are particu- 

 larly bad for this pest. It is necessary to remove the wool from 

 about the infected parts and apply any of the sheep dips or com- 



