G3 
nourishment, its only mission now being to produce and provide a 
place for its offspring. 
Such, in brief, are the characteristics and history of this pest of the 
sheep-fold; a history which leads up to the threshold of those difficult 
problems in the plans of the infinitely wise author of Nature—prob¬ 
lems which we shall probably be unable to solve until human inves¬ 
tigation has brought to light the most profound mysteries of nature, 
and is able to weave them into one continuous web. 
The question raised by Messrs Youatt and Clark, as to whether 
these insects are really injurious to otherwise healthy sheep, I leave 
to practical sheep-growers to decide; taking it for granted, however, 
that the very large majority of sheep-raisers differ from these able 
veterinarians on this point, and very decidedly prefer that their flocks 
should always remain exempt from their attacks. It is more than 
probable, however, that fatal results are often attributed to them which 
are due to other causes, and that they, in fact seldom cause death to 
sheep otherwise healthy. 
The remedies may all be classed under three heads: 
1st. Change of situation to where they are less liable to attack. 
2d. Measures designed to prevent the deposit by the mother fly. 
3d. Removing the larva or grub after it has become seated. 
That some situations are more infested than others I think will be 
found true. Kollar, who wrote for the benefit of Austrian agricultu¬ 
rists and gardeners, speaking of this insect, states that “young flocks 
are sometimes attacked by this plague when they frequently graze 
near woods.” I am satisfied that high, dry, firm, open, airy situations 
will be found much less infested by this pest than low, moist situa¬ 
tions, wh«.'re there is thick undergrowth and close hot air. 
There are various means adopted which are designed to prevent the 
deposit of the eggs or larvae by the parent fly. the old and well- 
known method of tarring the nose is, perhaps, one of the best and 
simplest. The removal of the grub after it has become seated is 
difficult; putting something into the nostrils to cause severe sneezing 
is, perhaps, the only plan worthy of trial, for the barbarous method 
of trepanning the skull should |>ot be resorted to. But the matter of 
remedies I leave to the practical sheep-raisers and the veterinary sur¬ 
geon, as I claim no practical knowledge in this respect. 
It is sometimes supposed by those who have not studied the char¬ 
acter of the grub, that it may bore through the bony wall of the 
skull into the brain; but this is simply an impossibility, as it has no 
organs or weapons with which it can bore. 
THE SHEEP TICK. (.Meolophcigur omnus , L.) 
The next species to which I call attention is the “sheep-tick” . 
(.Melophagus ovinus ), which, notwithstanding its name, is not a tick 
in the true sense, but a wingless fly, and belongs to the same order— 
