Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-09-22
bots In Horses.

W HOSi'' ioo ~ viz S>ss ~ 1900
description OF the pecularities of those
which affect the horse will be in season.
Bot, BOTTLES, CT gadfiies, constitute a
tribe of dipterous insects, well known to
farmers for the annoyance which several
of their species giveto sheep, cattle, and
horses. The perfect insects are short
lived, and not often seen; and the
larvae spend most of their existence
under the skin, within the stomach, OF
otherwise in the interior of Eliminating
animals. Yet the whole tribe, in all
the stages of existence, is remarkable
for extraordinary habits, nice mechanical
adjustments, and a general character of
wondrous instinct and beautiful organi-
cation.
The great spotted horse-bot. Gastero-
philus equi, is one of the largest, and
by far the most common, not only of
the genus, but of the tribe. It's length
is about seven lines; its general color is
and Obtuse; its thoraX has somewhat
grayish color; its abdomen is rNsty-
brown, with tinge of yellow, and a
series of dorsal spots; and its wings are
whitish, with black undulated trans
verse fascia behind the middle. The
female, in series of sudden descents
or dartings, deposits her eggs upon the
hair of some part of the horte, within
reach OF his mouth, making them in
stantly adhere by means of a slutinous
secretion which she gives cut along
with them, and sometimes depositing
upon single horse as many ,~s TOUR or
five hundred eggs Each egg is some
what conical in shape, the attached
end forming the apex; and when
seen through a magnifying glass is sha-
greened on the surface with transverse
and longitudinal strie. The horse, in
licking himself, takes up cohsidera-
BILE proportion of the eggs with his
tongue, the eggs disclose their animat-
ed contents either while on the tongue,
or very speedily after passing Into the
stomach; and the larvae Immediately
attach themselves to the stomach's in
ner tissue, and there remain in security,
from the end of summer or beginning
of autumn till late in spring, enjoying
a temperature of about one hundred
and two degrees of Fahrenheit, suffering
no injury from the action of the gastric
juices, feeding upon the mucus or the
chyme, and gradually, though slowly,
growing to maturity of size. Each
larva is shaped somewhat like flask
or elongated bag; it has pale, yellow
ish color; it possesses at the sides of its
chors itself to the stomach's men,
brane; and it is engirdled with several
belts or rings of spinelets and project
ing points, by means of which it regains
its position when, at any time, it acct
dentally loses its hold When it attains
maturity, it disengages itself from its
anchorage. is carried with the horses
food into the vllous portion of the
stomach, passes out with the same, and
is evacuated with the dung. The eject
ed maGgot seeks a place of shelter,
buries itself in the ground, and changes
into chrysaliS; the insect, in this lat
ter form resembles the larva in shape,
but is more rigid, and has reddish
brown color. After lying for few
weeks inactive, it escapes by the narrow
end of the pupa-case, and assumes its
final form of an image, or fly.
Many stern opinions have been enter
tanned as to excessive injuries done TO
the horse by the above described great
common bot, and as to the desrablene.s
of using strong medicinal means for de-
stroying the insect; but all such opin.
ions are very nearly without foundation
1t is fortunate for the horse, or rather
most beautifully ordained, that their
numbers are much reduced, and kept
within due limits, by the hazards they
are exposed to in the singular round Of
their propagation. Some of the eggs,
in the very act of their deposition. are
shaken off by the movements of the
horse; some, though firmly deposited,
are not taken up by the horse, or are
externally Matched from the action of
rain or other moisture, and in conse-
queuce perish; many are destroyed dur
ING the horses process of mastication:
many fail to make a Judgment in stom-
ach, but pass on to the intestines; and
not few of the matured larva re-
dropped in such situations as to be
crushed by the horses foot, picked up
by the birds, or unable to find a suitable
retreat for their transmutation into
chrysalides. Altogether we may calcu-
late that one hundred or upwards per-
ish in the state of either egg or larva,
for every individual which attains the
perfect condition of the fy.-PrdSrje
Farmer.
Speaking of improvements on the
farm, and some other things which need
improvement, the Country Gentleman