LOSSES FROM WARBLE-ATTACK. XXVll 



from all parts of the world, all contain a varying proportion of warbled 

 hides and skins, the damage, as a rule, being greatest on those from 

 the hottest climates, and generally affecting goat skins to the greatest 

 extent. 



" ' Those hides and skins coming from Mogador and other northern 

 parts of Africa suffer most in this respect, an average perhaps of about 

 one-fourth of them being damaged to the extent of 60 or 70 per cent. 

 Those from Kurrachee also suffer damage to almost the same extent, 

 while those from Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay are depreciated 

 perhaps to the extent of 50 per cent, on 10 per cent, of the skins. 



" ' From Cape Colonies the damage is comparatively slight, and still 

 less in those hides and skins from Australia and South America.' " — 

 Communicated by sec. of Colonial Co., Leadenhall Street, London. 



The great injury, however, which is caused year after year by this 

 attack is not only from the perforations of the maggots lessening the 

 value of the hides, but the loss in flesh and milk and health in summer, 

 when the animals are started by their terror of the fly to gallop as 

 fast as they can go, and later on the suffering and drag on the system 

 of supporting may be six, ten, or twenty, sometimes even a hundred, 

 or two, three or four hundred, of these strong maggots growing up to 

 an inch in length and feeding in the sore, which they keep up jrom 

 January or February until they are full-grown. 



What the losses from effect of warble-attack may amount to yearly 

 is difficult to calculate with certainty. Mr. W. H. Liddell, of Ber- 

 mondsey, put it at two million pounds sterling annually to Great 

 Britain and Ireland ; and on March 3rd, 1885, Mr. Kichard Stratton, 

 of The Duffryn, Newport, Mon., remarked: — "You have made one 

 trifling mistake, and that is in the amount of my estimate of the annual 

 loss sustained by the fly, you make me put it at a vdllion, but I do 

 not think I have ever put it at less than a pound per head on every 

 animal unsheltered from the ravages of the fly, which would probably 

 be seven or eight millions for the United Kingdom, and this, I fully 

 believe, is not above the mark." 



This looks a large estimate just on the face of the thing, but a great 

 deal of the amount may be fairly approximated, calculated out by 

 returns of loss per stone, or per carcase, on damaged auimals, and 

 losses on hide, of which some notes are given below. 



To these have to be added, for one thing, losses on fatting beasts ; 

 in the words of Mr. K. Stratton, on August 8th, 1884 : — " Cattle are 

 suffering very much at this time from the fly. Fancy a fat beast 

 having to run perhaps ten miles a day in this heat ! Many lose £1 

 worth of beef in a week from this cause." — R. Stratton, The Duffryn, 

 Newport, Mon. 



Also as mentioned below : — 



