Show THE HOUSEFLY HOUSE FLY on the history of this adjunct of culture Cul turo now fly bof clr binl Ob it development of lit become of ali tormentor 1 minter generel some ono has observed how little we really know about our intimate friends even choso living tho same roof the same remark will in a degree apply 0 o that cvar household companion tho housefly house fly wherever civilization liza tion penetrates thero go alio honeybee and tho housefly house fly twin adjuncts of alic higher culture and yet how little is known of tho life history of the fly is eggs arc placed where its young live upon what they live liow they become flies and how long they remain with us if wo examine one of ilicin it will be acen that the lly has six lizs composed of n number of segments or joints freely movable upon each other alic toe or tarsal joints are five in number to tho last joint arc attached two hooked claw and if anyone will tho flys foot with a microscope ho will detect between tho claws a little cushion which is deeply cleft into two parts or flaps the under sides of the flips very numerous peculiar hairs which arc bulbous at tho end and are called hairs hairs arc hollow and secrete a alicky fluid eacle hair is bent near the end which bend says tiiu cn west is an clastic membranous expansion capable of close contact with a highly polished surface from which a very quantity of a clear transparent fluid is emitted when the fly is actively moving mn west also adds tant when 1 lly is not making use of its cushions as on a surface rough to it foothold foot hold with its claws alone these only arc made use of As early as hooke noticed alio llio importance of the gained by alio claws when drawing against alic strong forward point ng hairs situated on the base of cich taaraal joint whenever any projections or a yielding surface aro afforded by the object on which alio fly Is walking houke also believed in the existence of a sub on gl this says west his ixon considered n mistake and yet it is certain that class very frequently undergoes a slow decomposition on its surface in a moist atmo phare from tho excess of alkali n its such a change is speedily produced in glass exposed to the action of tho weather as in our windowpanes window panes and conveys the appear ance as if a binsky were condensed upon it it has been proved by most observations which may bo readily by any one desirous of getting at the truth chit this tarnish docs very materially assist a fly when in a weak tato in iti hold and in freely moving upon the glas to keep abir windows clear for the admission of light it requires to bo constantly removed opticians Optic iann call a similar deposition of moisture tho sweating of glass sctt further describes alio llio way in which the actual movements of the flys foot arc made the cushions are set own on a smooth surface perpendicular or horizontal and the numberless hairs applied to fuch surface a slight push forward of abec succeeded by a draw backwards at each application removes tho air between their soft clastic expansions and their plane of motion and thus a firm hold is gained access of air is prevented by the minute quantity of moist anro which exudes from the expanded tip of the appendages and thus n vacuum is formed on the same principle as in tho atmospheric hat peg tho plate holder of tho photographer or the gums of when the fly wishes to move a leg from its of attachment abo claws aro brought down and pressed alie froni their position they raws the hinder part of the cushion where the hairs aro ica st developed first and w on forwards it alawa to the fifth joint as it has been supposed they could not act equally well in tho way I 1 bavo mentioned and I 1 think a fly when fast if it had no claws might remain K it bo noticed as any one may flo that the fly like all insects moves the legs of each pair alternately in walking after aill the pressure of alie is agent by which i fly is able to adhere to sur facca arc distinguished from most other insects by hiring but a dinglo ot wings what correspond to the becom secom or pair in other insects being q pair of knob liko balancers flight of ho house fly is roost rapid in warm sultry weather wo all know how busy and pertinacious their movements aro in dog day II 11 baa been found that 1 common fly when held captive moves its wings three hundred and thirty times a minute whereas a honeybee honey bee choso whoso powers ol 01 con tinned flight aro much greater moves its wings one hundred and ninety times iu tho same period tho dingi a figuro 8 in the air the buzz of tho fly has been carefully studied by dandois Lan dois during flight alit flys buzz or huni is in a relatively low tone when it is hold so that the win g tho buzz is higher in aud it is higher still when held so thai all motion of iho external is prevented tho lat mentioned it tho true voice of alio insect it if pro by tho breathing holes of alx thorax tho buzz of the fly aliu ex presses tho emotions of tho creature the low hum being one of contentment the shrill excited buzz one of alarm ant disturbance when a fly alights upon our hand 01 face on n liot day it is for tho purpose of lapping thu perspiration from th skin how this is done Is a curio iii study when the alv to quote fron our guide to iho study of settles upon a lump of sugar or othni sweet object it unbends and extend its tongue and the broad knob lilio enc divider into two flat muscular leaver which thus a buckar liko sur face with which the fly laps up li iiii these two icaco aro upon a framework of rodi which act as a set of springs to apri and shut iho muscular leaves alx inside of this broad fleshy expansion u rough like a rasp and as states ia easily employed by tho anoe in scraping or teanus delicate surface it is by means of this curious I 1 hat the busy housefly house fly occasions mischief to the covers of our books bi scraping oththo polish an caving traces of its depredations in tin soiled spotted appearance which i occasions on them alie of the flys tongue an of alio whole apparatus for taking iti byod hia engaged he in laef scars of some of our best anatomists 0 insects its structure turo is so and didi cult to tinder stand and laborec anatomical descriptions aro so dry ha we will not hero describe it ourselves with referring the reader foi an excellent description of the feyt flyt proboscis to professor article in tho american to march 1880 suffice it to say that tin fly has not as have beetles and gras hoppers free jaws and accessory cawi for biting and tearing the food but al the mouth parts of other insects an represented by the flys proboscis th larger part of which is formed by lh under lip alio enlarged and modified fleshy extremity of which forms a sucking organ what lillet food h taken by the fly h fluid fluids are its favorite diet but whence come alic swarm of mid flies and how do aliey keep in creasing through august what bo comes of them in the winter how long do they live and aliat of the manner of life of their young arc th small flies the children of the larger onca so little was known about the earl history of tho housefly house fly that wo endeavored and with fair w to study its transformations during august alic housefly house fly is particularly ant and especially so in and bout sli bacs on placing a fly in a bottlo six laid between six p m august 12 and eight alio next morning ont hundred and twenty eggs they worn deposited irregularly in stacks lying loose in two piles at alio bottom of tha bottle tho next day several maggots as the garvar aro called observed crawling about in the bottom of tho bottle afterwards by placing a arsi of oflas ia the sun the flies camo ani laid their little white slender hatched out so that thousands of writh ing maggots abounded in the mass it was found that the maggott hatched in twenty four hours after th eggs acro laid at first they aro bu little larger than alio eggs after remaining in the first stage for one daj the maggot boults being a little larghi than before after another day it chedi its skin a second time and enters upon the third stage of its larval life which lasts three or four days it by means of two spiracles spir acles or air bolcs at the end of alic body which commini com muni cata with tho in tho body there is also a spiracle near the head when about to transform into the pupa or chrysalis state tho body contracts into a barrel shaped case and urns brown and hard this case is called the and within it alic magdol becomes a pupa or chrysalda chry salia thu housefly house fly having as a maggot lived a squalid existence after a sleep of from five to seven days olt one end of its case and on emerging from the case immediately runs about though its wings aro still small soft and baggy much us in the pupa soon however tho skin become dry and hard thu fluid in tho wings anca and in a few moments tho fly take flight if in its winged tho fly is one of the most disagreeable features of dog days and people wonder why alioa were ever made at all it should ba remembered that flies infancy as maggots and alio loathsome life they then lead as scavengers cleanses and purifies the august air and aids in levering the death rate of our cities and towns while most housa bics die on approach of winter multitudes beine attacked by a white fungus their swollen dead bodies remaining on the wall or windows in october a few live through the winter while writing this article on the first warm day in spring a few flies have for tho arst made their appearance in our study these will lay their eggs aboud stabler in tho lato spring and thus give rise to a swarm of maggots and august flies A S packard jr t n youths companion tho los angeles doc a specimen of the adaily recently caught there this hugu specimen measured twenty s from tin to tip of liis wings nud WM pretty well arnild with teeth and claws hiis head will as largo as lie heads of four or liyo ordinary bit heads combined and well hooded two oars fully as large sw n half dollar il n majesty wa ai vicious and warlike as a scorpion or tarantula when confined and his bito would probably bo as dangerous hoys as a rule aro a nuisance but tharo is always something about out own that makes them a little superior to others they aro of u finer quality of material and the loiso that the make is not tho harsh and nerve de straying ying kind that other boys auak |