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ae Ay etna iN ine Hace aan 
Forest and Stream Letters 
“Butterflies from a Deer’s to the Government or State'Entomolo- these flies, which are the adults of 
Mouth” Explained gists. _ the species, have no functional mouth 
Prathoritatively The flies themselves are seldom ob- parts—they do not eat, but devote their 
served,-and on account of their swift whole life to the propagation of the 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: - flight are difficult to capture. They species, first the mating—then the fe- 
“D OT-FLIES” belong to a family of may be found in the mountain regions males, which are in this case the 
two-winged flies that is of special and in the woods where their hosts hunters, with swift flight and unerring 
interest on account of the parasitic abound. It is an interesting fact that instincts locate their quarry. 
habits of the “worms” or larvae, 
all of which are known to prey 
upon mammals. Some species 
of these “worms” are parasites 
in the stomach and digestive 
tracts, others in tumors formed 
by the larvae under the skin, 
(Rabbit Bots, by A. B. Champ- 
lain, FOREST AND STREAM, -De- 
cember, 1923), while the third 
type affects the head and’throat 
of deer, caribou, moose and re- 
lated animals. 
It is the latter type of “bots” 
with which we are now con- 
cerned. The adult or parent 
“bot-flies”’ place their young 
(which in this instance are lar- | 
vae or “worms,” also called 
“bots”) on or about the nose or 
mouth of the animal. The 
“worms” enter the head of the 
host through the mouth or nos- 
trils and feed upon. the matter 
that is secreted by the internal 
mucous membranes, caused by 
the irritating presence of these 
spined “bots.” 
-The nasal cavities are prob- 
ably the original centers of in- 
festation, but the “bots” are 
often dislodged or migrate to 
other situations, such as parts 
of the throat, palate, base of 
tongue, and other similar areas, 
where they cause painful and 
probably dangerous wounds. 
. Our knowledge of this inter- 
esting group of flies is very 
limited, and it is likely that 
there are many conflicting 
stories and superstitions con- 
cerning them. Hunters and 
others would be contributing 
valuable data to our knowledge 
of them, if they would send 
notes on their observations, with 
Specimens of live “bots” from 
mammals or fresh game heads 



DOWN ALONG THE 
LINVILLE 
By Dr. Wade Oliver 
Down along the Linville, 
When dusk lay cool, 
Dad and I would steal away 
To fish a shadowy pool; 
“Dead Man’s Pool” they called 
Its 
Why, I never knew; 
Kind of lonesome-dark it was 
As day burned blue! 
‘Trout? You should have seen 
them, 
Swift and keen of eye, 
Hunger-lean and gamy, 
Leaping at the fly; 
“Ho, that was a beauty!” 
“I’ve got another, Dad!” 
“Cast in by the alders,  ~ 
“And look sharp, lad!” 
Down along the Linville; 
Ah, the years: have flown; .. 
One of us returns at dusk. 
Silent and alone, | 
Puffs his pipe and watches, 
When dusk lies cool, 
Shadow shapes of yesterday 
_ Rise in “Dead Man’s Pool’; 
Hears across the distance 
The singing of a line, 
A reel click,’a far voice 
Crystal-clear and fine: 
“Cast your fly for beauty 
“There, by the alders, lad!” 
- # * * * * * 
God, if you were only here 
To help me land it, Dad! 

The larvae, “worms” or “bots” 
do not transform in the body of 
the host. They leave these situ- 
ations at the proper time, and 
fall to the ground where they 
complete their metamorphosis— 
‘ 1. e., the change from larva to 
pupa and from pupa to adult. 
The ordinary “bots” that at- 
tack horses and cattle, and with 
which we are more familiar, be- 
long to this same family of in- 
sects. They lay their eggs on 
the hair of the animal, where 
they are licked off, and so 
brought into the mucous-lined. 
passages. 
A. B. CHAMPLAIN, 
Penn. Dept. of Agriculture. 

A Good Conservationalist 
DEAR FOREST AND STREAM: 
AM an incurable conserva- 
tionalist of our birds, game, 
fish and fur animals. I have 
spent forty years in personal 
contact with the creatures of 
forest and stream as a hunter, 
trapper, naturaiist and _ pro- 
tector. 
The texture of fur in the fur 
bearers, their habits, tempera- 
ment and methods of living, the 
beautiful birds in the different 
stages of development, have 
taken the most part of my life- 
time and will take the balance. 
Last year I kept an accurate 
record of the destruction of 
what I call. predatory vermin 
which is far superior in num- 
ber to the good, useful and 
beautiful creatures of forest 
and stream. The record fol- 

rd OWS 
349 
