FIRST OBSERVATION OF OPEN WARBLE. 
5 
First observations of open Warble-swelling. 
Careful watch was kept both on living cattle and newly-flayed hides 
in various localities throughout the winter of 1885-1886, in order to 
secure the date of the first appearance of the warble in its open condi¬ 
tion, which took place (generally) from about the 14th to the 25th of 
February. The first advance on the condition of a mere hair-like 
streak through the hide was found in specimens cut from the hide of a 
young bull, and sent me by Mr. John Dalton, of Wigton, on Jan. 27th. 
Fig. 3.—Maggots, club-shaped and worm-like, magnified. Fig. 4.—Mouth-forks 
of young maggot, much magnified. 
Following this I had observations from various places in England 
and Ireland during February of the progressive enlargement of the 
warble-lumps,—as of lumps increasing in number and size ; some 
“appearing like a gathering coming to a head.’’ On February 
18th Messrs. Hatton, of Hereford, mentioned that they had received 
an ox-liide with many warbles in it, specimens of the maggots from 
which were forwarded ; * and on the previous day they had informed 
me that notice had already been given that hides on Birmingham 
Market would be sorted for warbles, and those having more than 
three would be out-classed ; and from various quarters, especially from 
Mr. Hy. Thompson, M.R.C.V.S., Aspatria, Cumberland, to whom I 
have been greatly indebted for assistance in our researches, I received 
specimens of infested hide, or of young warble-maggots. 
In the earliest of these there was the first appearance of the warble 
as a perforated swelling , with the maggot of a clearly distinguishable 
Size within. The channel through the hide was still very small, the 
opening on the outside being about as large as the prick of a common 
darning-needle, and below, though larger, scarcely the sixteenth of an 
inch across. The smallest of the maggots from these warbles were 
about a quarter of an inch long by a third of that measure in width, 
not as yet oval, but straightish, and somewhat worm-like in shape; 
when older they become rather enlarged towards the moutli-end, so as 
* The cost of this hide was 29s., whereas the value of the same weight of hide 
free from warbles would have been 35s. 5d. 
