INJURY TO THE ANIMALS. 
105 
thing as a matter of course, allow the grubs to ‘ ripen ’ and fall out of 
themselves, when the skin heals up again. Now that you have called 
my attention to the subject, however, I will study it.”—Professor 
McConnell, Ongar Park Hall, Ongar, Essex. 
The following observations mainly refer to the amount of warble attach 
being influenced by the age, health, and method of treatment of the animal. 
—The first two notes draw attention also to the important point of 
the great suffering caused by the warbles, as shown by the ulceration 
and inflammation found within the hide, and the feverish state of the 
animal. 
It will be observed that for the most part the attack is considered 
worst on young cattle, but it is by no means limited to these; and I 
have added (p. 106) a portion of a letter written by Mr. W. H. Liddell to 
the Editor of the ‘ Leather Trades’ Circular ’ in 1878, as it gives the 
thread of connection to the previous notes, showing that exposure 
without possibility of shelter, weakness, and neglect are all favourable 
to increase of warble attack, whether in old cattle or young. 
A few further notes of the use of mercurial ointment or of pricking 
the maggot are also given. 
“ I suffer very little from warbles on my own cattle, and I think it 
is owing to their being kept well; but those I buy in the spring are 
usually in a fearful state, both from warble and from low condition, and 
I have had them quite ill from the effects of these pests. I then find 
nothing like a good cooling drench, as they almost run to fever point.” 
—E. R. Berry Torr, Westleigh House, Bideford, Devon. 
“ In the spring, when cattle are in the house, if the hand is pressed 
along the back, any warble can be easily detected, and might, I think, 
be as easily destroyed. A needle or sharp instrument (dipped in some 
acid or poison, if necessary) would be certain and effectual. If some 
such plan could be generally adopted, how soon the flies would be 
thinned, and their progeny prevented from preying upon future genera¬ 
tions of cattlo. 
“ The agony these poor creatures must endure when these great 
worms are feeding upon them must be terrible ; doubtless numbers 
every year perish in consequence. I have many times in the spring 
of the year noticed hides taken from say two-year-old bullocks which 
have died, and have seen how the back has been one mass of sores, 
the discoloured blood and matter showing how intense has been the 
inflammation. 
“ The warble grub, as you will be aware, is enclosed in a cyst of 
cellular tissue, and I imagine it lives upon the pus or secretion which 
is set up by its presence. The tissues immediately below the hide are 
very vascular and very sensitive; the hide itself does not appear to be 
penetrated by blood-vessels, at least by none visible to the naked eye. 
