28 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



be definitely settled only by experiment ; but most reasonable 

 men would be content to forego any possible benefit, and be 

 satisfied with a healthy horse destitute of bots. No doubt 

 many diseases due to other causes are commonly attributed 

 to these insects, but that they are frequently the cause of 

 serious trouble is generally believed and admitted. In this 

 instance prevention is comparatively easy, while all writers 

 admit that there is no reliable cure, no mattter how much 

 they may differ in other respects. The means of prevention 

 consist chiefly in frequently removing or destroying the eggs, 

 as mentioned above, and also in removing and destroying the 

 full-grown larvae when observed attached to the rectum. In 

 some countries the grooms frequently wash out the mouths 

 of the horses with a suitable brush in order to remove the 

 young larvge. Many drugs have been recommended to re- 

 move bots from the stomach, but none that do not endanger 

 the life of the horse can be relied upon ; and in cases where 

 they bring away the larvee, it is possible that those that arc 

 already in the intestines are the only ones affected. Spirits 

 (or oil) of turpentine is a remedy in common use, but should 

 be used with caution, if at all. A better plan, under ordi- 

 nary circumstances, is to keep the horses in good health in 

 other respects, so that they can the better sustain the attacks 

 of the larvae until they naturally pass away, which will usually 

 take place without serious injury. In exceptional and severe 

 cases only, resort should be had to special medicines of a dan- 

 gerous or doubtful character ; and then they should be given, 

 if possible, in accordance with the advice of a competent phy- 

 sician. There are several other species of bot-flies of the 

 horse, which are less known, however, in this country. 



The Gastrophilus nasalis is a smaller species, densely 

 hairy, with the thorax yellowish red or rust-colored. The 

 abdomen is either whitish at base, with the middle black and 

 the apex yellowish-brown and hairy ; or the base is whitish 

 and all the rest brown ; or the middle is black, with the base 

 and apex whitish, with grayish hairs. Tiie wings are un- 

 spotted. The larvae are much like those of the preceding, 

 except that they are smaller, and also live in the stomach of 



