SUMMARY. 



lix 



buted to all applicants. This has been mostly gratuitously, at my own 

 wish and request, though not entirely so. As 133,000 of the four-page 

 warble leaflet have been distributed, and about 25,000 of the longer 

 leaflet entitled ' Licked Beef,' and as those who were good enough to 

 help our important cause by undertaking distribution of large numbers 

 had all the trouble and postal expenses, I decliued wherever I could to 

 receive payment. 



In this present abstract, which I have now tbe honour of laying 

 before my readers, I have endeavoured so to arrange the main points 

 of the information collected in our many years' work as to form a 

 connected account, beginning with egg and egg-laying of the Warble 

 Fly, and working on through its life-history and habits, and structural 

 details of the maggot (by which it lies in our power to destroy it), up 

 to its complete development ; then to coutmue with the sometimes 

 ruinous and constantly injurious effects of the attack to health and 

 produce and return to grower and purchaser of the infested animals, 

 giving under these heads the result of special investigations as to 

 " licked beef," and also special returns regarding losses on hides. To 

 this is added, at considerable length, details of measures of prevention 

 and remedy, and also result of the same in getting rid of the pest, not 

 only locally, but, as in the case of our carefully watched work at Bun- 

 bury and Tarporley, Cheshire, over a whole district. 



In this I have endeavoured with the greatest care to do justice to 

 the importance of the subject, and it will be seen that I have carefully 

 avoided giving general views and considerations that may or may not 

 be right, but have as far as possible given each observation in the 

 contributor's own words, with the name appended. Very much more 

 could be given from my Reports — because for several years we went 

 over the same ground — especially of means of prevention and remedy, 

 that by the evidence of so many icitnesses, giving their separate testimony 

 in their own words, the fact which we were working up to of the 

 possibility of certainly and cheaply stamping out warble-attack might 

 be made sure. Those who wish to go over the many repeated details 

 will find them in the Eeports referred to at p. 58 ; but in this 

 pamphlet I have taken those standing on the highest authority, and 

 I think those who will look at the high standing of the names of those 

 leading men and leading firms who have given their help in the 

 different branches of this national investigation, will think we need 

 not fear to go far astray. 



One thing I do greatly fear, and that is mischief from erroneous 

 advice of those who, whilst they have neither practical nor scientific 

 knowledge of the attack or its cure, yet unfortunately may, by their 

 attempts to institute unfounded methods of treatment, put back our 

 good work. / would most earnestly hey all interested to he on their yuard. 



