112 
OX WARBLE FLY. 
it, also the blackish band across the abdomen, and orange colour at the 
tip showed well. Mr. Richards wrote accompanying, after alluding to 
my previous letter on Ox "Warble Fly. “We have been since trying to 
catch some more, and, though we had several chases, only were able to 
get one this morning. This one flew at the legs and flanks 
of a young Guernsey bull, “ he broke tether and came home, the 
fly still at him; we got them both.”. “I have never known 
the flies later than the 2nd or 3rd of August in other years; all my 
cattle are on tethers, and house-fed by day in hot weather, excepting 
six before mentioned, (referred to in Mr. Richards letter) which I had 
no room for and could not then sell. This causes us to watch dates 
very closely.” 
The above note is of special interest in connection with the remark 
of Mr. W. H. Liddell, given in 8th Report, p. 106. “ And ivliy are bulls 
so very subject to them ? Because they are often fastened, and have no 
means of clearing themselves of the fly when grazing, and in winter 
tied up without any attention paid to the state of the backs.” It is 
worth remark, that where the cattle were from necessary circumstances 
more exposed to attack, the fly was so much more noticeable as to 
allow having several chases and two captures, and also that the few 
cattle that were free were so maddened by the fly as to leap a parapet 
wallforthe purpose of getting into water, and continued swimming about 
in a reservoir nine feet deep, with their own good will, to avoid attack. 
The following account is well worth study, as showing what can 
be done by quiet, unobtrusive, but thorough work in clearing out 
Warbles from a district. Mr. W. Bailey, the Head Master of Aldersey 
Grammar School, Tarporley, Cheshire, has now for several years in¬ 
structed such of his pupils as were desirous to learn in the history, 
and best methods of destruction of the common farm insects, with 
such great success that the Consulting Entomologist of the Dominion 
of Canada, wrote over to enquire into the method pursued. The pupils 
are for the most part sons of farmers and farm labourers, and the 
instruction is voluntary. Mr. Bailey gives his exceedingly serviceable 
teaching, and such boys as desire may have the benefit of it, and we (I 
may say as I have the pleasure of co-operating to some small 
extent) have no examinations. The knowledge received is shown by 
results seen on their fathers’ farms, and not merely heard by word in 
examination. With regard to the Warbles the boys were first shown 
the maggots and told their history, and desired to bring what they could 
find, and in 1885 one pupil, Frank Ravenscroft, brought 250, and in 
1886, the following year, when he examined 114 head of stock belonging 
to his father and brother, he found no Warbles, excepting on the young 
stock, which had not been dressed, because they were out in the 
fields. 
