XX WARBLE FLY. 



this ; the heavy, thick skin will protect the beef from being damaged 

 with the cow's tongue; therefore, in my opinion, the term 'licked 

 beef ' is a misnomer. 



"Now, what causes the damaged meat, or beef, is the chronic 

 inflammation set up by the warbles in the skin, which extends to the 

 connective tissues, thence to the flesh, producing the straw-coloured, 

 jelly-like appearance of a new-slaughtered carcase of beef, which in 

 twelve to twenty-four hours, when exposed to the air, turns a dirty 

 greenish yellow colour ; and this spoils the beef, having a frothy dis- 

 charge oozing from the surface, with a soapy-like look ; hence the 

 name, 'licked beef.'" — H. T. 



With regard to this altered material, which has to be scraped 

 away, Mr. John Child, Manager of the Leeds and District Hide, Skin, 

 and Fat Co., wrote me on the 3rd of July: — " In the worst part of 

 the warble season I could get you bucketfuls of inflamed tissue (com- 

 monly called by the butchers, 'jelly'), cut and scraped from the 

 carcase after the hide is taken oft". The formation of this matter must 

 be a great drain on the health, condition, and quality of the animal, 

 and must be a great loss to somebody." 



The height of the warble-season was then quite past, but on 

 July 16th Mr. Child forwarded me a sample of this so-called "jelly," 

 with the remark that it was "difficult to get at this time of year. 

 "When the grub leaves the hide, the inflamed tissue soon diminishes, 

 and in a very few weeks disappears altogether ; but during the most 

 active part of the warble-season the condition of the carcase of the 

 animal is such as to considerably reduce the value to the butcher." 

 ~J. C. 



This disgusting-looking sample of scrapings from the inflamed 

 surface appeared to the unpractised eye as a mass of variously dis- 

 coloured, soft, wet, or jelly-like-looking material, in which there were 

 here and there orange- or ochre-coloured patches or streaks, and dark 

 red lumps or patches like coagulated blood ; and in this material, or 

 jelly, the warble-maggots were still to be found. 



This sample I forwarded, by his kind permission, to Prof. Penberthy, 

 who wrote me regarding it as follows : — " I have made an examination 

 of the jjost mortem specimen sent. The so-called 'jelly ' is the product 

 of inflammation, and there is every reason for believing that this 

 inflammation is due to the warble. In the small portion of material 

 received there were three apparently healthy warbles, evidence of two 

 others in a decomposing state, and three cavities where other warbles 

 had been lodged. The material is not fit for human consumption. 

 I think it very deleterious to the health and comfort of the affected 

 animal." 



In reply to my enquiry as to how I should rightly describe the 



