I 



I 



TICKS. 133 



backs of cattle. These attacks on horses are niade only by female 

 flies. 



In the tropics I have seen many instances of sores in ill-kept 

 horses becoming " fly-blown " (filled with maggots). Warble flies 

 rarely attack horses in England, but do so in various parts of 

 Europe and South America. The larva is about two-fifths of an 

 inch long, being a good deal smaller than that of the warble fly of 

 the ox, which it closely resembles in its method of development. 

 In Europe, the warble fly lays its eggs on the back of the horse 

 generally in August. The larva forms a tumour under the skin, 

 becomes mature in June or July, leaves its temporary abode, and 

 after concealing itself for about a month in or on the surface of 

 the ground, bursts forth as a fly. While in the tumour on the back 

 of the horse, the presence of the larva not only causes an abscess 

 to form ; but the parasite also imbibes blood from its host. In 

 the treatment of these warbles it is well to remove them without 

 delay, by enlarging the orifice with a touch of the knife, and by 

 taking out the larva with a forceps. The sac should then be filled 

 with some suitable antiseptic (p. 67), eucaly]3tus oil or turpen- 

 tine for choice. The larvae should be destroyed by some effective 

 means, such as fire or boiling water; for if they be thrown away, 

 they will almost to a certainty be productive of flies which, in the 

 case of a female, will be capable of producing an immense quantity 

 of eggs. 



Lice 



which closely resemble those of man, are sometimes found on 

 ill-kept horses. They prick the skin so as to feed on the blood 

 and discharge which, issue from the wounds they make. They 

 may be observed, accompanied by their nits and cast-off skins, on 

 the skin of their favourite haunts, which are the roots of the tail 

 and mane, the hair of which, when affected, stands up and becomes 

 matted. Horse lice are of three kinds, and vary in length from 

 one-seventh to one-fourteenth of an inch. The animal suffers a 

 great deal from itchiness, and avails himself of every convenient 

 object against which to rub the affected parts. Clipping and careful 

 grooming are generally sufficient to remove these parasites and 

 their nits (eggs). As applications, we may use stavesacre oint- 

 ment; a decoction made by boiling an ounce of tobacco in a pint 

 of water ; or an ounce of carbolic acid or creolin in a pint of water. 



Ticks (Ixodes) 



similar to those found on dog^s, are found in almost all countries 

 on horses which graze in the open. South African horses that 



