116 
OX WARBLE FLY. 
Mouth-forks of young maggot, 
much magnified. 
Breathing-tubes of maggot, 
magnified. 
through breathing-pores in these brown- 
black tips or spiracles. The mouth-end 
is down below feeding in the ulcerated 
matter caused by irritation from perpetual 
suction of the mouth parts. The maggot 
cannot protect itself from the effect of ap¬ 
plications, therefore anything put on the 
opening where the breathing tips show 
will choke the breathing apparatus, or run 
down into the hole and poison the mag¬ 
got. The earlier this is done in the sea¬ 
son the better it will be for the animal, 
and the less difficulty there will be in 
the Warble holes healing. 
Whilst the maggots are in the 
Warbles, though a skin-like membrane 
forms round the surface of the perfora¬ 
tions (see figure below), they cannot 
heal up because the maggot lies within, 
and when the warble-grub has fallen 
out , though the whole contracts, the 
surfaces being already covered with a 
film of tissue are slow to unite; and, as 
may be seen in warbled hides, union is 
often prevented by this skin-like film 
shelling off, and laying with dried 
matter in the perforation. On the under 
side of the hide, though the surface may 
not be broken, yet the subcutaneous tissues are often left as a mere 
film of no strength, which injures the surface of the leather. 
When the maggot is full grown it is about 
an inch long and dark grey ; it presses itself 
out of the opening tail foremost and falls to 
the ground, where it finds some shelter, either 
in the ground or under a stone or clod, where 
it changes to a chrysalis. The chrysalis is dark 
brown or black, much like the maggot in 
shape, only flatter on one side ; and from this Section of Warble _ after 
brown husk the Warble Fly comes out in soaking in water, 
three or four weeks, but this length of time 
is increased by cold weather. 
With regard to methods of remedy, there does not appear to be any 
difficulty of getting rid of the Warble-maggot easily and cheaply, when 
the Warble has “ ripened,” that is, opened so far that the black end of 
the tail is visible. Then it may be destroyed cheaply and quickly. 
From special observations, taken during the last two years, it has been 
found that where the Warble-maggots have been destroyed before they 
drop from the cattle there is little if any summer attack of Warble- 
flies. Consequently the cattle can rest in peace, and, as there is 
very little egg-laying on them, there are scarcely any Warbles in the 
following spring. 
Squeezing out the maggots is a sure method of getting rid of them, 
but they may be destroyed easily and without risk by dressing the 
