Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-02-09
Bots, Their Nature and Habits.

a vast amount of misiniormation
exists among farmers every where. as
to the real nature and habits OF the
"bots fly" which everyone knows is IA
serious annoyance TO the farmers best
friend, the horse. The following short
paper on the subject is from the pen
of DIR. WIN. Horne, and may be ac-
ccpted as authority:
There is no animal belonging To
the domesticatcd which suffers so
much as the poor horse. There is
not an animal so sensitive 10 suffer
ing as he is. Difficult and dangerous
as it is 10 tamper with him, he is the
subject Of every form of quackery
and cruelty. The noble horse. our
best friend, is being constantly made
the subject Of much suffering by the
! hordes Of adventures who travel
about the country, and who are 10 be
| found located in almost every town.
city and village in the Union. These
men claim TO know everything about
u horse. They know all about every
T disease TO which he is liable. and give
. him the credit for diseases quite un-
! known To the most skilled yetcrina-
T rian. Perhaps no other disease. So
called, has SO many symptoms aud
cures as bots. Almost every symp-
tom and form Of disease il asctibed
TO bots. All forms OF cole, etc.
etc, are the result Of the ravagcs o.
this formidable Zoe. Every form Of
medic ne, etc, is recommended. ac-
cording to the fancy Of the man who
may IRON some cause or other settle
upon it, in his astutc mind. no mat
ter how much damage he may do.
and without the possibility Of doing
any good.
Bots are not disease, neither do
they cause any disease, 80 far as
my experience teaches me. know
there are some good. intelligent au-
thorities, who think quite differently.
some honofcd experts think bots
cause many forms of gripes. or collie.
in the horse. Perhaps they do. Ad-
mlttjng that bots do cause some
forms Of disease, what are We going
to do about it; How can we pre-
vent such disurgauization and dis
quietudc Z | answer. we ate power
less 20 prevent IT,
| huyg ssHssss s,tsrt. sf,..e L.
to this bot question, and am obliged
Ia confess | have never yet seen
any serious results from them.
That they produce irritation when
seeking a new life. when passing
along the bowels. am quite satisfied.
That they sometimes hook on To- the
membrane OF the Icctum, know.
and cause much uneasiness to the
horse. This is the time and only
time when close attention is necessa-
~, for now by distending the anus.
the parasite may bc drawn away me.
chaDically--in NO utiler way-and
the itching prevented. | believe the
Royal College of Surgeons Of Lon.
don claim to have a section of stom.
ach perforated hv bots. They NAV
have. a perforated stomach, but |
most respectfully claim they have
not one perforated hy bots In the
first place. such ala act on tie part of
n hot would bc suicidal lie would
/ go tunnelling into unknown regions.
lie would bc acting quite contrary To
I his nature and instincts. In the next
7 place. have examined all the three
varieties quite critically. and with n
/ magnilier, and failed tu discover any
I ineans Ui eating, tunnrlling or bur.
I rowing. The bot even lacks the adj.
/ vantnEcs of the ordinary caterpillar
for such a purpose. lie possesses a
/ powerful hook with which he tenaci.
Unsly holds un tO thc walls ut the
| stomach until. ia accordance with the
laws OF bis nature, when perfected,
when ready Tor transformation. he
voluntarily lets - I'll. hold and soon
he must iind new quarters. OF he will
I perish. Soon, II the weather il sun.
/ ny, he becomes new creature, aud
Oceupits new sphere in tie order of
creation. lie does not burrow in
the ground, as stated by many nu.
thoFIties. until lie IL transformed.
lie sluggishly crerps up to the end
/ Uf stlaws, etc. and there waits until
hls cd, hairy, invulnerahle jacket
bursts asunder. THEN Dec docs burr
row for season. The time so spent
IS materially governed by The heat OF
the weather. II fine and warm, he
is soon on the wing. Even nov be
uses the wings more to accelerate his
movements Ia walking, than for iiy-
ing. The little fellow nov il gray.
isl white, and quite changed from bic
hideous, embryotic appearance, with
immense, dispFoportionate eyes. Now
Is The time IL prevent their increase