230 



The Sheep Nostril Fly. 



[JULY, 



day, with their noses held close to the ground, which renders it 

 difficult for the fly to get conveniently at the nostril." 



Symptoms Attending Infestation, — Discharge from the nostrils 

 of the infected sheep, sneezing and snorting in the endeavour to 

 get rid of the larvae, tossing of the head, rubbing noses on the 

 ground and with their feet, high stepping, a staggering gait, 

 difficulty in breathing. There is a loss of condition attendant 

 on the constant irritation. 



Treatment. — In combating the sheep nostril fly prevention is 

 to be aimed at rather than later remedial measures. 



1. The fly may be deterred from its egg and maggot laying 



by repeated dressings of the nostrils of the sheep, with 

 such materials as tar or fish oil This is an onerous 

 task, hence there are contrivances for making the sheep 

 dress themselves by having in the pastures salting 

 troughs made in the shape of the letter V ; the sides 

 of the V are smeared with tar, and the sheep get the 

 tar on their noses as they lick the salt ; or the boxes 

 containing the salt are closed, save for a hole painted 

 over with tar. 



2. Where a pasture is known to be infected the sheep 



should be removed from the meadow before the flies 

 issue from the pupa cases. 



3. Infested sheep should be isolated so that the maggots 



when mature may not be sneezed out on to the pasture. 

 To prevent further development the maggots when 

 seen should be destroyed. 



4. In very bad cases the sheep should be sent for slaughter. 



Remedial measures are not of much avail, and may be too 

 troublesome and expensive to be generally practised, save with 

 valuable prize sheep. Such measures consist of fumigation to 

 kill the maggots or induce a violent sneezing, which may result 

 in the maggots being ejected ; injecting up the nostrils fluids, 

 which, if they reach the maggots would kill them ; trephining — 

 cutting into the cavities where the maggots are resident and 

 picking them out 



