LOUISIANA CIRCULAR No. 6. 31 



siomilly by the bull-pout. Various species of sunfisli are common 

 in Louisiana waters also, and on account of their strictly 

 nivorous habits, in most cases at least, they are most desirable. 

 The people should see to it that all permanent waters, m. matter 

 of what extent, are well stocked with fishes, not only on account 

 of the larvae of horseHes destroyed by Miein. b,,t for many nfln-r 

 n asonx as well. 



ARTIFICIAL KKMKDIKS KOU HOU'SKFLIES. 



Tp to the present time no satisfactory remedy applicable 

 i r all cases has be,en suggested, for the habits of the various 

 s[ eeies are such that it is difficult to surest anything that can 

 be applied in a practical way. 



The method, long in use, of protecting work animals with 

 fiy nets meets with quite general satisfaction, and the use of 

 burlap on other choice animals has its merits, but the problem 

 <;f how to protect the stock in the pastures is the important one, 

 and its solution is not easy. In order to solve this problem a 

 general remedy for horseflies in some stage must be suggested, 

 and since it is the adults that do the damage, a remedy for 

 them is most desirable. 



If one takes the time to observe these flies around water 

 when they are plentiful, he soon notices that certain species, at 

 least when Hying over the water, drop down now and then and 

 dip their abdomens. Porchinski of Russia explains this habit by 

 saying that the Hies come to drink, and that every tim<' they 

 drop down to the surface of the water they take a sip of the 

 hquid. He also made a number of experiments, and proved that 

 by applying kerosene to the surface of standing pools large 

 numbers of horseflies of various kinds got the oil on their bodies 

 while drinking, and were killed. As to the quantity of kerosene 

 required to kill them in this manner, it is stated that he ap- 

 [ lied about the equivalent -of a half-pint to six square feet of 

 water surface. If this was sufficient to do the work, no more oil 

 was applied until the next morning, when a like amount was 

 used. In case the first male horsefly that came to drink did not 

 stick to the surface, more oil was applied immediately. He ob- 

 served that all the species of r/*n/*"/>* "ul T(ilinux which were 



