XIV WARBLE FLY. 



then heal up readily, and early in the year also they will heal fairly 

 well ; but where the maggot has been allowed to remain for several 

 months, working itself about in the hole, which, by its growth, it keeps 

 pressing larger, then the kind of false skin or film mentioned above 

 forms over the surface of the cell (see fig.) ; and as this is not got 

 rid of when the maggot is killed or removed, it is very apt to make a 

 kind of plug in the liole, which prevents it drawing completely together 

 for a long time, and thus causes much depreciation of the value of the 

 hide, though not always noticeable by the buyer. 



On July 9th, 1884, Mr. John Dalton wrote me from his tannery at 

 Wigton : — " In two or three weeks after the escape of the worm the 

 hole quite closes up, and the only trace remaining is the cicatrix where 

 the wound has been. In some of the pieces of leather sent you might 

 notice both holes and marks ; the later were the healed wounds of the 

 previous year. A warble-hole, like any ordinary injury to the skin, 

 though healed, can always be traced, and no matter how long the 

 animal may live, the scar remains." And Messrs. Thomas and Sons, 

 of Llandillo, in the course of communication on warble injuries, men- 

 tioned that in one old cow-hide they found 500 scabs, these showing 

 the traces of warble-attack in previous seasons. 



I was also obliged, in 1889, by the following note on this subject 

 from Mr. W. H. Hill, Vice-President of the Sheffield Butchers' Asso- 

 ciation : — " In one of my letters you may possibly remember my 

 reference to the loss to the tanner on finding the tmmed hide to be 

 spoiled for the purpose intended, by the ravages of warbles, and to my 

 explaining that traces of the warble-holes are left on the hide when 

 tanned, even after the holes are closed up by suppuration. I have no 

 doubt it will interest you to know that a few weeks ago a local tanner 

 brought for my inspection a tanned hide of as good quality as can be 

 found, and for which, being off a polled Scotch beast, and weighing 

 98 lbs. in the raw state, he had paid us an extra price over ordinary 

 hides of a similar weight. When purchased in the raw state no distinct 

 traces of warbles could be seen, but on being tanned the grain-side in 

 the best part of the hide was speckled, ragged, and blistered, where 

 formerly warbles had been. The tanner, who is reliable, stated the 

 difference in value and loss on this one hide would be at least 25s., and 

 probably 30s." 



The folloivm;/ observations, of which the four first were sent me in 1885, 

 (jive examples of the severity to icJiich ivarhle-attack runs. 

 Such specimens as were sent accompanying were in a shocking 

 condition, and, if not the cause of the death of the animals, must have 

 severely aggravated the effects of illness. 



" I to-day received the skin of a young bullock, about one year and 



