New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-27
THE FLIES or PARIS.

From the days Of Julius CGsar-who little
thought that his life was to be written In that
swamp by tho Seine-during its chequered ex-
istence and long ordeal of fire, famine ana
slaughter, most things painful or dlsagreeapie
which can happen to a city have happened 10
Paris. II has been stOrmed, and besleged, anu
burned; it has tasted famine, and massacre
and anarchy; and thrice even in modern times
it has been held in the grasp of conquerng
and insolent foe while all along it has been
suffering under the worst forms of every
kind of political government. But now,
by rocky-bosomed and brass-hearted for
tune. a new ndignity has been IN
aicted upon the city. 1t has been
Invaded by large black flies ~ They are
described as Settling down in perfect shoals
"on peoples clothes THAT is, we presume,
when people have any clothes upon which the
flies can settle. They gather in great num-
bers upon the tables of the Boulevard cafes
and on the trOttOirs-in fact they are succlnctly
said to be everywhere" Such is the nuisance
that the Academy of Sciences is driven to take
the matter up; NJ. Blanchard Is deputed TO
prepare memoir upon the subject, and does
| 80 TO the infinite satisfaction of all the learned
brethren. The Latin name of the Paris Fly
| is Bibio HOrtuldnuS, and great comfort 1t must
no tn the bitten and insect beleaguered Parisians
to know that they are rendered desperate by
a respectably classified insect Now this Fly
differs in one respect from all Flies which
| have heretofore exasperated Frenchmen. IL
does not feed upon decaying animal matter,
| and it has no passion for blood. 1t belongs 10
a more tolerable class of flies, therefore, than
| those which were Over-plenty in the palaces
| of France in the good old times OF the Four
teenth and Fifteenth Louis. These did feed on
| decaying matter, and plenty of food they
| found-anything fresh not being altogether
| abundant in the royal residences. Then
there were the Flies of the Philo-
sophie period, who would feed on nothing less
than the Blessed Elements, and who were
found specially troublesome in church-Flies
which might have disturbed the equanimity
even of Uncle Toby. The Flies of the RevO-
luton and of the Empire were alike in their
taste for blood-the French Fly had not then
developed its love of vegetable diet. The
| Flies of Orleans were not at least il-man-
nered, and in their capacity for laying up
| treasures in this world were not devoid
of the prudent instincts of the bee.
The Flies of the Second Empire are
tion-they were of various kinds, from
water-fies to flesh 6ies-they buzzed and
fitted and stung and gorged themselves on
blood at first, on less expensive dainties after
ward, until their day was over. There are
Flies yet in court and camp, and possibly the
church; but we will no longer pursue the
figure
This Bibio Hortuldnas, which is at present
the most fashionable, or at least the best no.
tced in Paris, for all its leguminOus prefer
ences, is, in some Sort Matched of the Com
mune, which has so many other sins to answer
for. The Communists it appears, killed the
birds; roasted and devoured them, we sup
pose, or else ate them uncoOked in any way /;
and so, as there were no birds to swallow
the grubs, these were Matched in immense
numbers. Hence, among other nuisances, the
| Bibiol At the same time we think that we
see signs of improvement, and hope for the
future in the fact that these Flies "do not
I" feed on decaying animal matter" 1t is GER
| tainly something gained that the prominent
French Flies no longer thirst for blood, but
pass by the hesh-pots, to settle upon " fresh
vegetables" Why, they are actually Jean
Jacques Flies in their way Jean Jacques
Bibio Hortulanus is a name of highly respect
able and aristOcratic sound. The philosopher,
while he was setting fire to the world,
lived upon entils, and these are the ele-
CANT and simple preference of the Vegetarian
Flies of modern Paris. Is there milk
water millennium coming to FranceP Why not,
when nothing is imprObable9 Are we, who
have seen them or read of them laboring under
so many other forms of enthusiasm, destined
to behold them all turned into so many
QuakersY Is that dash of the tiger, which
Voltaire found in their constitution, to give
place to bucolic characteristics Ito the peaceful
simplicity of muttons, or to the philosophic
fortitude of the Nightingale of Arcadia 7 II
this be the omen which is indicated by the
Paris Flies, with their "psnchant for primeurcs,'
the world has harmless and perhaps pront-
able example in store for it.
1t Is pretty hard when man declares over bis OWL
signature that he is dead that the incredulou'
should scott Mt his statement. l.. III. TascOtt law