14 
WABBLE FLY. 
then heal up readily, and early in the year also they will heal fairly 
well; but where the maggot has been allowed to remain for several 
months, working itself about in the hole, which, by its growth, it keeps 
pressing larger, then the kind of false skin or film mentioned above 
forms over the surface of the cell (see fig.); and as this is not got 
rid of when the maggot is killed or removed, it is very apt to make a 
kind of plug in the hole, which prevents it drawing completely together 
for a long time, and thus causes much depreciation of the value of the 
hide, though not always noticeable by the buyer. 
On July 9th, 1884, Mr. John Dalton wrote me from his tannery at 
Wigton: — In two or three weeks after the escape of the worm the 
hole quite closes up, and the only trace remaining is the cicatrix where 
the wound has been. In some of the pieces of leather sent you might 
notice both holes and marks; the later were the healed wounds of the 
previous year. A warble-hole, like any ordinary injury to the skin, 
though healed, can always be traced, and no matter how long the 
animal may live, the scar remains.” And Messrs. Thomas and Sons, 
of Llandillo, in the course of communication on warble injuries, men¬ 
tioned that in one old cow-hide they found 500 scabs, these showing 
the traces of warble-attack in previous seasons. 
I was also obliged, in 1889, by the following note on this subject 
from Mr. W. H. Hill, Vice-President of the Sheffield Butchers’ Asso¬ 
ciation : — “ In one of my letters you may possibly remember my 
reference to the loss to the tanner on finding the tanned hide to be 
spoiled for the purpose intended, by the ravages of warbles, and to my 
explaining that traces of the warble-lioles are left on the hide when 
tanned, even after the holes are closed up by suppuration. I have no 
doubt it will interest you to know that a few weeks ago a local tanner 
brought for my inspection a tanned hide of as good quality as can be 
found, and for which, being off a polled Scotch beast, and weighing 
98 lbs. in the raw state, he had paid us an extra price over ordinary 
hides of a similar weight. When purchased in the raw state no distinct 
traces of warbles could be seen, but on being tanned the grain-side in 
the best part of the hide was speckled, ragged, and blistered, where 
formerly warbles had been. The tanner, who is reliable, stated the 
difference in value and loss on this one hide would be at least 25s., and 
probably 80s.” 
The- following observations, of which the four first were sent me in 1885, 
give examples of the severitg to which warble-attack runs. 
Such specimens as were sent accompanying were in a shocking 
condition, and, if not the cause of the death of the animals, must have 
severely aggravated the effects of illness. 
“ I to-day received the skin of a young bullock, about one year and 
