40 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
or remedy might be recommended that would be tolerably effective. Miss 
Ormerod thought that the injury occasioned by the Gistrus larva could be 
prevented with slight trouble and expense, and hoped that the necessary 
observations to ensure successful treatment would be made. 
Mr. W. L. Distant agreed as to the great injury occasioned to the hides 
by these pests, and recommended Miss Ormerod to address a letter to the 
‘Leather Trades Journal’ upon the subject; he believed many people 
engaged in the leather trade would be willing to lend their assistance 
towards the object of lessening the number of warbled hides. 
Mr. E. A. Fitch said that the amount of damage occasioned by the 
(Estrus larvee was very uncertain; he had always found short-horn beasts 
(and especially yearling and two-year olds) most affected, and three and four 
year old Welsh or Scotch beasts—commonly known as ‘ runts’—quite free 
from attack; he believed that the warble opened in May or June, but 
there appeared to be some special difficulty in breeding the perfect Cstrus, 
as he had tried it from many scores of larve, but had never yet succeeded. 
Prof. C. V. Riley expressed the interest he felt in the remarks of Miss 
Ormerod. In reference to the time of year when the cavity opened, it 
would differ somewhat in different countries and with individual larve. In 
the State of Illinois, where he had much experience with the species, the 
larva left the cattle in May and June; oviposition extended over a period 
of several weeks, and there would be a corresponding difference in the 
period of opening of the cavity. For this reason it was best to defer 
destruction of the “ warble” till late in the autumn, when the rubbing of 
kerosene along the backs, or the use of a little mercurial ointment would 
destroy the larve. The insect was rarely injurious to grown cattle, but 
when abundant affected the health of yearlings. The interests of the cattle 
raiser and of the leather dealer had little in common, and it was for this 
reason that it was so difficult to get concert of action on the part of stock- 
raisers in freeing their animals from the insect. 
Miss Ormerod thanked Prof. Riley for his information, and said she 
could give some confirmation of his remarks, as in some Northumbrian 
districts the application of a mixture of oil with a small amount of turpentine 
or of strong pickling brine had effected a perfect cure. 
M. Wailly exhibited a large box of bred Lepidoptera, especially of silk- 
producing Bombyces. 
The Secretary read a “ Note on the habitat of Platychile pallida, 
Fabr.,” by Mr. Roland Trimen, F.R.S., &e. 
Mr. Butler communicated a paper by Surgeon-Major R. W. Forsayeth, 
“On the life-history of sixty species of Lepidoptera observed in Mhow, 
Central India.” Mr. Butler referred to the more remarkable species, and 
Mr. Forsayeth’s three books of drawings were exhibited.—E. A. Fireu, 
Hon. Sec. 
Fa¥).. 
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