316 
ANNUAL  REPORT  FOR  1910  OF  THE 
ZOOLOGIST. 
Parasitic  Diseases  of 
Animals — 
Warble-fly,  Ac.  . 
Corn  Crop  Pests — 
Frit-fly,  Ac. 
Contents. 
PAGE 
. 316 
. 318 
Root  and  Garden  Crop 
Pests  .... 
Fed it  Pests  . 
Forest  Thee  Pests 
page 
. 318 
. 319 
. 321 
The  applications  for  information  and  advice  received  by  the 
Zoologist  during  the  past  season  were  more  numerous  than  in 
any  previous  year.  As  usual  they  covered  a very  wide  field, 
and  ranged  from  the  simple  identification  of  insect  specimens 
to  cases  of  injury  to  animals  or  crops  involving  a considerable 
amount  of  investigation  and  experiment.  The  general  scope 
of  the  work  of  the  department  is  indicated  in  the  subjoined 
notes. 
Parasitic  Diseases  of  Animals. 
Under  thi6  section  advice  has  been  given  in  connection 
with  warble-fly,  sheep  maggots,  intestinal  worms  in  sheep, 
gapes  in  domestic  fowls  and  in  pheasants,  coccidiosis  in 
partridges,  and  a lung-worm  ( Strongylus  paradoxus)  in  pigs. 
Various  parasites,  especially  ticks  and  biting  flies,  have  also  been 
sent  for  identification. 
Some  of  these  diseases  are  more  appropriate  to  the  Veterinary 
Department,  but  concerning  others  a few  notes  may  be  given 
here. 
With  regard  to  the  warble-fly  two  points  emerge  more 
clearly  every  year  in  consequence  of  the  accumulation  of 
experience  and  of  the  accurate  experiments  which  have  been 
recently  made — especially  by  Professor  G.  H.  Carpenter  in 
Ireland.  One  is  that,  though  some  preparations  for  killing  the 
maggots  in  the  warble  swellings  are  comparatively  harmless 
and  fairly  effective,  by  far  the  best  plan  is  to  squeeze  the 
maggots  out.  There  is  no  need,  moreover,  to  wait  till  the 
maggots  are  nearly  mature,  for  with  a little  practice  they  may 
be  squeezed  out  quite  early  in  the  spring,  while  still  very 
small.  The  other  point  has  proved  less  acceptable  to  cattle 
owners,  but  it  is  impossible  to  resist  the  evidence  in  its  favour. 
Dressing  the  backs  of  cattle  to  keep  off  the  fly  is  a waste  of 
labour  and  material.  We  know  now  that  the  eggs  are  not  laid 
on  the  back  at  all,  but  on  the  legs,  and  cattle  which  have  been 
