The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1897-08-05
DEADLY PEST OF FLIES.
TERRIBLE RAVACES OF THE BUFFALO
CNAT IN THE SOUTHWEST.

Men and Cattle Stung to Death-Belongs
to Family Widespread Over America
and Europe-There Are Sixty Varieties
How Animals Act When Attacked.
From the South and the Southwest
come reports of a plague of flies
worse than that which helped to OBJ
| tain the liberation of the Israelites
from bondage in ancient Egypt. In
| Yucatan the sun has been obscured by
millions of these pests. In Jefferson
| vile farmer named Price, while at
work on his farm, was stung to death
| by swarm that lit on his face and
hands. In Western Oklahoma and
parts of Texas adjoining several hun
dred head of horses, mules and cattle
have been killed.
In all cases the fly is of the species
known as the buffalo gnat. The
gnats are described as resembling
small flies. They appear in the spring
along the river regions and are car
ried into the country by high north
winds.
They have long been known to sci
ence as members of the Similium fam
lily. This family comprises but a single
genus differentiated into about sixty
known species. The particular species
to which the buffalo gnat belongs has
not yet been baptized by any given
name in natural science. Perhaps
that is why the king of darkness
reigns triumphant within them. To
increase this possibility the gnats are
popularly known as black flies. They
exist in Europe as well as in America
They are small and short. They have
no ocelli, the thorax is without any
transverse suture, the legs are short,
the tibiae are without spurs, and the
hind tibiae and first joint of the hind
tarsi are dilated.
| The larvae live under water and
have interesting pecularities. They
are soft skinned and are thinner near
the middle. Their head is cyclindri
CAL They have two pair of eye spots.
On the first thoracic segment is a foot
protuberance with bristly booklets.
The end of the abdomen has several
appendages for attachment. They
live in subaquatic plants or on stones,
where they form for themselves elong-
ated cocoons, open above. In this upper
end the pupa ensconce themselves.
From the anterior part of the body,
which is naked and free, extend eight
or sixteen very long, slender, thread
like breathing tubes. The perfect in
sect escapes under water and crawls to
the surface.
The European species have been
taken in hand by scientists and digni-
fed by the name Similium columbas-
zenso. They appear in spring, espe-
cially along the region of the Danube,
where many hundreds of cattle fall
victim to their bites. Whenever they
bite they cause burning itching Soon
painful, hard swelling makes its ap-
pearance. 1t may remain for week
or longer. Many such bites close to-
gether produce severe infammatory
fever, and in more susceptible victims
cramps. They especially frequent
such parts of the body as are not
covered by hair, and also the passages
of the nostril and the ear.
The buffalo gnat proper are found
in greater or less quantities every
year in Louisiana, Texas and some OF
the other Southern states. But,
luckily, it is not often that they occur
in such incredible quantities as now.
Animals, when attacked by large
numbers, grow frantic and seek to
evade their tormentors by rolling in
the dust, rushing about and whirline
round and round. At times they are
literally covered with the animated
pests. The ears and nostrils are the
chief points of attack. The former
are filled clear to the tympanum with
layer upon layer. An infammatory
fever, with a high pulse, soon sets in.
The afflicted cattle soon die of cramps
and commissions. In the dead animals
the skin of the entire body will be
found covered with numerous minute
ulcers.
The buffalo gnat has two great aver
sions- smoke and darkness. Hence
the best way of driving it off is tC
place the infected animal in barn
close all the windows and doors save
single passage of escape, and ignite
a slow fire of manure, peat or othel
material which will give out more
smoke than light. York Herald
I