The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-08-23

Enclosed with the letter was a speci-
al bulletin on the horn fly written and
published by G. V. Riley and L. o.
Howard of the Department of EntOmO-
logy, from which the following inter
esting extracts are taken:
"History-The pest first appeared in the
United States in September, 1887, on the
ranch of /. w. Nicholson at Camden, y;
J. 1t is believed to have been imported
with fine stock from Europe, perhaps
from HOIstein. In less than two years the
fly made it's appearance in several dis
tricts farther south, extending into Mary
land and Virginia The names Texas
Fly" Buffalo Fly and Buffalo Gnat'
gives the impression that the fly came
from the West, which is entirely er-
..The most prominent Of the popular err
rors is the belief that the fly damages
the horn eats into the substance, causes
it 10 rot, and even lays eggs in 1t Whlch
hatch into maggOts and penetrate to the
brain. There is no foundation Tor TINS
belief. The flies COngregate on the bases
of the horns only to rest where they are
not liable to be disturbed. Where they
have been clustering thichy on the horns
the latter become hyspecked and appear
at a little distance as though they might
be damaged, and it is doubtless this fact
that has given rise to the erroneous
The results. therefore, indicate that
the eggs are deposited during daylight,
chiefly during the warmer time OF the
Y -
9 in the morning and noon. Ihey are Idld
singlv. and never in clusters, and usual
ly on their sides on the surface OF the wet
manure. seldom inserted in cracks.
THE amount Of damage done by Ihe
fv has been exaggerated. by some ana
Overestimated by others. We nave nedTd
many rInOrs of the death Of animals
from its attacks, but have been unable 10
substantiate a single case. We beHeNe
that the flies alone Will never cause the
| death of an animal Dhey reduce ILe
condition of stock to a considerable eH-
| tent. and in the case OF mlIch COWS IuS
| yield Of milk is reduced from One-tOurth
| 10 One-haIf 1t is our opinion thaI thelr
| bites seldom even produce sores by theW-
| selves although We nave seen d huLilDeI 'L
! of cases of where large sores had peeh
| made bv the cattle rubbing themselves
! against trees and fences in an endeaVoT
! TO allay the irritation caused bE Lht
! bfrcs- or in spots where they could not
| rub. by licking constantly with the tong ue
| as a bout the bag and on the INSIDE Oh Jue
| hind thighs. = sore once started IN tils
! yyay- will increase Will the continued IT
| rf+a+iou bv the flies and viii be difficult
| +o heal Those who underestimate the
| damage believe that the flies DO not SUCK
| blood but such persons nave doupIIesS
| yarched the flies only upon the horns OF
| elsewhere in their resting position WheI
/ the beak is not inserted, or nave cauSh'
! them and crushed them when their Dodles
! contained little blood IN reaHtZ tII9 - -
| g. r considerable blood. and it IS theH
! ONLY nourishment; if captured aho
! crushed at the right time the most skep
! riraf Individual viii be convinced
! -rrmeGies-AlmOst any greasy SUD
/ e-ar.r viii keep the flies away Tor SeN'
| eT=r Favs \ number of experiments Were
/ tried in the field with the result @ tiid
! tra5T-Cil alone, and train-Ou with llJJIe
! ruIrnur or carbOliC acid added, VIII heeL
the flies away for from flVe 70 SIX uayS
| while with a small proportion OF car,
| bOlic acid it will have healing eHec'
| upon sores which may nave formed