The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-08-23
The Ox-BOt.

The ox-bot, Gstrus bowls, is a very
annoying insect; and, as its name inn
plies, it usually infests animals of the
OK species. 1t is about the same size
as,the great spotted horse bot, or rather
larger; its forehead is white, and dense
ly hairy; its thorax is yellow in front,
black in the middle, and ash-colorcd
behind; its abdomen has an apez with
tawny-yellow hairs, and a black fascia
in the middle, and is ash-colored at the
base; its wing-scales are white and very |
large, and its legs are black. Its eggs
are deposited either on the skin, or in
oviposital p~erforation through it; and
its larva grow beneath the skin, princi-
pally along the sides of the ox's spine
and loins, and cause tumors or abscess-
es analogous to'the gals on the leaves
of willows and other trees, but often as
large as pigeons eggs. When cattle are
attacked by the fly, they frequently be-
come furious, believing with violence,
and running off at their utmost speed,
with extendedta tail and outstrstched neck.
A herd of cattle. driven on the road,
NAV become struck with such a terror
by meeting these flies, that they instant
" wheel about, run off in a brisk re-
treat, and defy language not found in
the Bible, and all the sticks and stones
of their drivers, till they find protection
in a pond of water; and in days of yore,
when blowing was done by oxen, fire.
uuentlv a team, when attacked at their
work in the field by this fly, and not in
stantly liberated by their driver, have
fled with the pillow at their heels, total
ly regardless of the drivers heroic Ian
| guage and the enormous incumbrance
upon their flight. The larva of the on
bot has an oblong-oval shape; it consists
| of eleven segments formed by TRAVERSE
bands which are crossed at the sides by
| longitudinal lines; and it has, on each
| side of every segment, a distinct spiracle
or breathing-hole. A cyst or minute
| cell within the substance of the skin of
the OK is the abode of the young larva,
and the commencement of the abscess
or tumor; this gradually enlarges with
pus, oecasioned by the local irritation,
supplies the insect with food; and a
minute opening on the crown of the tu-
NOR permits the insect to place the ex-
tremity of its principle air-tube in con-
tact with the atmosphere, and after
wards, at the season of maturity, to
withdraw its whole body from the tu-
NOR. The tumors occasioned in the
skin of cattle by the ox-bot have long
been popularity regarded as a disease
under the name of MARBLES or wormals.
Except in rare instances, however, war
bles do not affect the healthy condition
of cattle, but, on the contrary, are re-
gacded by many butchers as indications
of soundness and strength, Yet hides
which have been affected with MARBLES
are ~irretrievably damaged, and when
in that condition, are readily and great
ly deprecated by the tanner the tor
lures, too, which cattle suffer at the de-
position of the eggs, are Injurious to
their welfare, and sometimes occasion
considerable accidents. Either the in
insertion of a red-hot knitting needle, or
squeezing it out and crushing it with
the finger and thumb, will kill the lar
va.-Prairie Farmer.