Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-05-24
Grnbs in the Head of Sheen.

tOEtAACt, 10 40 AthS 40 thN DObl anu
that is composed OF five rings, tiger-col-
ored on the back, with some small
points, and larger patches of deep brown
color. The belly is of the same color,
but has only one large circular spot on
the center of each ring. The length
Of the wings is nearly equal 10 that Of
the body, which they almost entirely
cover.
The larva, when about half grown, is
white except two brown spots near the
tail. When full-sized the rings, and
particularly those near the tail, are
dark brown. Each ring has darker
spots and below them are others. The
belly Of full grown larva is covered
with small red spines, between the
rings. the points of which turn back.
The fy deposits its eggs in the nostrils
of the sheep, where they are immedi-
stely Matched by the warmth and moist
ure. The larva or young grubs crawl
up the nose, finding their way to the
sinuses, where by means of the hooks
which grow from the sides of their
mouth, they fix themselves to the mem
brane lining those cavities, and there
remain till the following year. The eggs
are laid in July and August, and the
larva remain in the head until the fol-
loving spring, abandoning it only when
warm weather advances. Ii crawls
down the nose, producing great excite
ment and irritation, drops to the ground,
burrows up, forms into chrysalis and
| in due time comes forth o perfect fly.
What is especially curious about this
II 80 fhD foc ~ tbot hag II
lives only long enough to lay its eggs,
then dies.
The larva OF the norse-hy live in
horses stomach, that of the cattle fly
in the cattlc's back; in like manner,
the young of the sheep-fy live in
sleeps head. Has anyone ever a6-
vanced the idea that the grubs in
cows back caused her death II so,
methinks they would be laughed to
scorh. 1t is my firm belief there would
be just as much sense in such an idea,
as in the one that grubs in sleeps
head caused its death, when they really
had no more to do with it than the an
vii, on which horseshoe is made, has
to do with the death of the horse.
We quote from "Youatt on Sheep"
page 1868: sis it incompatible with
that wisdom and goodness that are
more and more evident in proportion
as the phenomena Of nature are close
ly examined, that the destined resi-.
dence of the oe}trus owls should be pro-
ductive of continued inconvenience or
disease. If sheep dies in the spring
of tho year With one or another set of
symptoms, the popular belief gener-
ally traces the maladies to grubs. 1t is
the convenient name which covers ALI
the unknown fatal maladies of that
season. 1t is the duty of every intelE-
gent farmer to give this matter careful
ADD thoughtful study. When you ex-
anime sleeps head. dissect it careful
| ly, don't go at it with an axe as you
would split wood.
la the meantime try no such cru ell
remedies as turpentine or tobacco.
Grated that the grubs do cause
some slight Inflammation, and of course
they do, how very painful it must be
to inject turpentine into their nose, or
choke them with tobacco; and it Will
do no good, as arsenic, or sulphuric
acid will not kill them. By far, the
better way is to let nature take her
own course, and not dose with quack
nostrums, that do more harm than
good.
SUNSHINE FOR SHEEP GRUBs
So far as my observation AID ex-
perience CO. all of the alleged RENE
dies quoted by Mr.. Mason for grub in
the head of sheep are useless. l do
not believe that any of them ever
harmed grub or helped a sheep
Randall and the American Stock
Book " to the contrary. There is no
certainty that anything injected into
the nostrils can be made to reach the
grub, and my advice is to ali who
have the care of hocks, not to torture
or hasten the death of any afflicted
sheep by the improper, useless and
cruel treatment. But place the
ailing animal where it will be
least exposed TO wind, and
most exposed to light and heat of the
sun, and let it remain there through
the entire day, or longer if necessary
| lbut be sure and take it in nights and
IN the great majority of cases the grub,
to get into the light and neat of the
sun, will be induced to leave it's secret
hiding place back in the sleeps head
and crawl down far enough toward the
outer nostrils so as to make it easy for
the sheep to blow it out. have thus
saved several valuable sheep. This is
no guess work; know it to be so from
the fact that on going to the sheepfold
to feed and take care of the sheen for
the night the grubs were found in the
grain trough, and ia few days
the ailing sheep were as we'll as
any in the flock. In a post norton
examination l ave taken the grubs
from the head of the sheep, put them
into bottle, blown the bottle full of
strong tobacco smoke. corked the bot
tie tight, and let them remain there
long enough to kill them If tobacco
smoke would do it, but the grubs came
out entirely unframed. Facts are
stubborn things, and one demonstra-
ton is worth hundred guesses. Ran
| dali and the american Stock Book
ought to explain Ste phen Dlckerson,