Annual Report for 1887 of tlie Consulting Entomologist. 295 
orchard trees so that the wingless moths cannot get up them to 
lay eggs noiv, is being well carried out, and found to answer. 
This is important to fruit-farmers, for the caterpillars are exces- 
sively destructive. Various other crop and fruit attacks were 
reported, to all which I gave requisite attention. 
In regard to cattle insects, the attention paid to warble 
attack has been highly beneficial. About twenty-two thousand 
copies of the leaflet on "Ox Warble" have been distributed, and 
the simple measures recommended are reported by very large 
numbers of cattle-owners to answer excellently, both in destroying 
the maggot, and (consequently on this maggot not being allowed 
to develop into a fly) in preventing much of the galloping from 
warble-fly attack in summer. We are really at last undermin- 
ing the idea that dozens of maggots an inch long feeding in the 
hides of the cattle are only a sign of health. Communications 
have also been sent in about the ox gad-fly (Tahanus bovimis) 
and also the horse warble-fly, and one or more kinds of horse 
bot-fly (Gastero2)hilus) ; but as the latter attack is a regular 
subject for veterinary treatment, I have merely given such 
points of the history of the insect as were requisite to my cor- 
respondents. 
Specimens have also been sent me of the sheep's-nostril 
maggot, the larva of the fly known as the Geplialemyia avis. 
These had been taken from the head of a sheep badly affected 
with the disease known as the " gids," and were considered by 
the sender to have been taken out of the brain. As it is a not 
uncommon belief (even to the extent of affecting the sale of 
sheep's heads at the season when the maggot is to be found) 
that it harbours in the brain, and also as it is quite possible 
that the maggots in their earliest stages could make their way 
through minute orifices into the brain, I have carefully investi- 
gated the matter. 
The head of another sheep from the same flock, suffering 
under the same symptoms, was sent me, and opened surgically, 
and not a trace of maggot pi-esence was found ; but it showed 
severe presence of the well-known hydatid attack, producing 
the various symptoms known as " gid " or the " giddies." Other 
heads were brought, showing this attack in the brain, or 
maggots high up in the nostrils, and the two attacks might 
occur together ; but there was nothing to give any reason to 
suppose that the maggots existed and grew to maturity in the 
brain. I think it is worth while to maintain this, as the possi- 
bility has been brought forward on somewhat high authority. 
The general work in ray department continues steadily to 
increase. In the preceding year (188G) the number of letters 
written by myself in reply to inquiries on subjects directly con- 
