68 
HORSE. 
which are the spiracles or breathing apparatus figured, magnified, at 
p. 64, and diminishing more quickly towards the anterior extremity, in 
which are the mouth hooks figured, magnified, also at p. 64. 
The maggots are of various shades of flesh colour; when full grown 
they are yellowish flesh colour and about three-quarters of an inch or 
rather more in length, and about a third of an inch wide at the widest part. 
The time passed in maggot condition is about 9 or 10 months or 
possibly more. When full grown they loosen the hold of their mouth 
hooks, by which they have kept themselves in position, and passing 
along the intestines are discharged from the animal, and fall to the 
ground with the rejectamenta. 
They bury themselves in the Horse dung, or in the ground, and 
there turn to brown chrysalids (formed outside of the hardened skin 
of the maggot), from which the fly comes out in about six or seven 
weeks during summer. 
Prevention and Remedies. —Combing, brushing, clipping hair at 
the infested spots, and the use of soaps and washes, which would not be 
in any way injurious to the Horse, whilst they would help to clean off 
eggs and hatching maggots, are amongst the regular methods of 
treatment. Any safe wash or smear with strong carbolic or mineral 
oil smell, or any other scent obnoxious to the flies would of course be 
a deterrent of attack. Also (looking at how strongly the point is 
brought forward that the united warmth and moisture of the Horse’s 
tongue promotes hatching out of the maggots), warm washings which 
open the eggs, and clear or kill these maggots as they hatch, might be 
expected to be of use. 
If the flies as a rule do not follow the Horses into stables, it would 
of course be of some preventive service where animals were out at grass 
(and it was desired to preserve them from attack) to have sheds into 
which they could go in the heat of the day, when annoyed by fly attack. 
Also, where the yellowish pink maggots, or brown chrysalids which 
are much like them in shape, are in such numbers as to be noticeable 
in the Horse droppings, it might be desirable to attend to this matter 
in any way which would most conveniently destroy the infestation. 
With regard to season of attack and some methods of treatment, 
Mr. Thompson remarked :—“ Hay time (July and August) is the time 
most noted in the north for observing the ova deposited on the Horse ; 
there is no rubbing them off. They are firmly fixed—glued to the hair. 
To prevent development, Horses at work could have the ova scraped 
off and the parts rubbed with turpentine, and animals at grass could 
be brought in once a fortnight, examined and treated in the same 
way.”—(H. T.) J. 
Some of the points especially brought forward for notice in 
