The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-28
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WHAT THE BUFFALO GNAT IS.
Col. Cody TELLS some of His ExperI~
ences with the Pest--Its Scientific

. Name.
From the New York Sun.
The buffalo gnat," word of the arrival
of which in affecting numbers has come
from Texas within a few days, Is one OF
the worst insect plaques which the south
ern and western sections Of the United
States are compelled to suffer. The gnat
Is defined by the scientists as one of the
genus slmullum, family simullidae or spe-
officially as the Simulium pecuarum. 1t is
one OF the diptera, and swarms in numbers
almost incredible in the south and west.
just In the weather in which insect annoy
ances can be bofne least well, either by
beast or man Man is not by any means
free from its assaults, although IT is espe-
ciaIy troublesome to cattle and horses. 1t
IL similar to the black fly, but Is very
small. OF cattle it is a dreaded pest.
sometimes killing them.
1T is a minute insect" says one writer
on the subject, F. A. Lucas and occurs
a times in countless myriads, becoming a
scourge to cattle, rendering. them frantic
by its prosecutions"
II is by worriment. not by poison, that It
kills the suffering live stock. The animals
have to be protected from 1t by man II
tect themselves from the Texas bull mos
quitoes' by smudging the space under
netting so that they can lie down beneath
VI and listen to the mosquitoes singing out
side. Some men here, who have seen war
service In Texas, but were not familiar
with the buffalo gnat, were inclined 70
think yesterday with the entomologists
quoted In yesterday mornings Sun, that
the new insect pests IN Texas were these
old Dull mosquitoes" but this was an
error. The dispatches which told OF tie
coming of the gnats to Atlanta, Tex, and
the neighborhood said that the present
visitation was the first in fifteen years.
The gnats, however, are common in tho
Mississippi states north Of Texas. and
farmers Of Alabama and Mississippi arc
fearful of their descent upon their cows
Further north and west the gnats have
pestered the plainsmen and their horses
and stock for years; they were particular
~ offensive when the buffalo were numer-
GUS and the presence of the bisons meant
n scourge Of gnats although the insects
did not confine their visits to the immedi-
ate region OF the nerds,
Col william r.. Cody, who is just now
giving Brookiynites an opportunity to see
some dress rehearsals OF his company or
rough riders. left his work few minutes
yesterday and told a reporter OF the sun
a little about his experience with the flies.
Eyes. know EN- Col Cody said; they
come down-or up--by Millions I'm some
parts OF the west After a rainstorm II
seems as IL they came up right out Of the
ground, literally, by the million. And yet
they used TO tell us up in the mountainous
country and on the plains that we didn't
isnow what the gnats were. People used
10 speak about the gnats sometimes just
as they might OF the weather-Gnats are
bad to-day or the contrary.
spBad?' the men who had come from the
south country used to say, why you don't
know what II is to have the gnats bad
here But they were bad enough, espec-
lal.y on murky days. They would get In
vour eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. IL was
necessary TO keep your mouth closed and
eght them. A. man, of course, could
combat them, but the cattle and horses
were their victims. The gnats are little
bits Of things, not quarter the size OF
! house fiy and they would swarm all over
tbe moor beasts and get into their ears
and worry them until they were almost
crazy or TO death. There was a saying
among the men that woman couldn't i've
In the gnat country because she couldn't
keep her mouth shut.
'aThe flies are black or brown-black.
They got their name because they Follow
ed the buffalo herds. The buffaloes went
sonfh In the winter. When a herd came
an Won would see the gnats sometimes in
a great cloud about them. When the
weather was sticky, as after storm, the.-
were terrible; and. as / say, It seemed as
n the wet ground teemed with them and
that they came up there out of the earth.
They have no poison so far as know, al
though they may affect people differently
lust as mosquitoes seem to poison some
people while other are not affected by
their bites Mosquitoes don't affect me
particle But the gnats come In such my
riads and get at the animals all over, so
that they kill them by worriment. I sup
pose that the gnats have become trouble
some IN Texas. as the high waters have
gone down and left some places marshy or
swampy."
In parts OF Louisiana where the buffalo
gnat is a common visitor after floods
which IL folows-the residents protect their
mules from the insects by placing them
an dark stables The gnats viii not go
into dark barns. but old mules which are
turned out IN the lots the gnats prey upon
until they XIII them.
~ don't like the way her hat Is trim
med" said the woman at the thoater.
NO" replied her husband. who was
Immediately behind the headWoar. III
was q great mistake not 20 Trim lt care
fully across the TOP with a pair Of ecl8-