Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-04
Something About Flies.

familiar as it is there are few persons
VINO know anything in regard TO it's his
tory or the important work which it per-
forms as one of the links in the great
| chain OF nature. That many of our read.
ers are DESTROYS of learning something
with regard to the history Of this insect
| is sufficient excuse for introducing the
| subject here. in addition to this the
house fly is really an agricultural laborer
! and very useful member of society.
Many good housekeeper considers
the ny a nuisance created especially to
draggle into the butter or drop into the
soup just at time when it is most incon.
venient to take them out. But in this
| respect they are no worse than some
larger animals which might be named,
and that they are created for special
and good purpose there is little reason to
doubt. The reason why the eggs are not
| found in the house is because the mother
| fly does not deposit them there, having
too tender regard for her offspring 10 Law
| eggs in such uncongenial places. She NAV
| sip your coffee or take bite of sugar,
but her immature children have no de-
| sire for such delicate food.
Ii there are any old heaps of rubbish
in the form of decaying vegetables
about place, the female house fly de-
posts her eggs there. If you desire to
see the entire operation and watch the
growth OF the insect from the egg to
maturity, place quantity of grain and
vegetables together in a box and put
them where they will be kept moist and
decay slowly. The fly will seek this filthy
mass and deposit her eggs therein. The
mass must not be kept too wet or allowed
to become perfectly dry, but simply
moist. By an occasional visit 10 this
depository one may find the fly laying
her eggs. Fifty to 100 eggs are frequent
ly laid at one time, and the old fly usual
ly remains so quiet during the operation
that close and inquisitive spectator is
not likely to disturb her. During warm
weather these eggs will hatch in very few
days, each producing minute cylindri-
cal white grub divided into thirteen
rings. This grub, or more properly
larva, devours its surroundings-that is,
the decaying vegetable matter, thereby
aiding in its decomposition and return to
original elements. In other words, it
consumes the filth which careless house
their premises instead of putting into a
compost heaD and covering with EARTH
which would prevent noxious exhala-
The grubs grow rapidly in their luxu-
rious surroundings, and are when fully
grown nearly or quite three-quarters Of
an inch long and about an eighth in
diameter. In few days more they as
sumo what is termed the pupa state, be-
coming shorter and thicker, the outer
skin assuming brown color, and becom-
ing quite tough. In this state the insect
neither eats nor has the power of loco
motion; but it does not remain long in
this condition, and If it is examined by
holding it up to the light, the fly can be
distinctly seen within. To see fly born
may not be as sublime spectacle as
Niagara Falls, but it is one in which few
persons would fail to be interested, or
forget if once observed The best meth
cd to observe this event in the life of our
great and ever-present domestic friend
| is to gather few of the pup9 an d put
| them in small, clear vial, which must
be placed where it can be frequently
seen, for dozen flies may appear in
less time than it takes us to write this
sentence, as we know from personal OBJ
servation. In emerging from the pupal
case the fly separates circular piece
from the end, leaving it attached at one
side, thereby forming, as it were, hinge
to the door, which is pushed open and
the fly crawls out, full grown and per-
feet. The wings may be little lax at
first, but they soon dry, and our house
fly is ready to perform his or her allotted
labors in the busy world.
Now we wish the reader to observe
particularly that flies are born of full
size and just as large as they ever will
be; in other words, flies do not grow as
flies, but enlargement or growth occurs
in previous stages, and not in the per-
feet or winged state. We mention this
fact in the life history of the fly because
many an intelligent housekeepe believes
that the minute species of flies which
often appear in great numbers in spring
grow to be large flies later in the season
This is al error, for the small species are
distinct from the large ones, and always
remain small. Sometimes our stables
swarm with minute flies in early spring,
but these soon disappear and different
species takes their place. If house-fies
are abundant it is because there is or has
been an abundance of filth somewhere
about the place, in which their larv9
have been fattening. They may come
into the cleanest house, for the fly, in its
mature or perfect state, is somewhat of
an epicure; but in the perpetuation Of
its kind it seeks the garbage.heaps atth
kitchen door or about some outbuilding.
Millions of small flies pass through the
winter in perfect state, hiding in warm
kitchens, cellars and similar favorable.
situations. The eggs laid late in the fall
remain, either as deposited or in the lar
val state, until spring
All the various species of flies which.
appear about our dwellings and, barn
yards pass through similar metamor-
phoses, and are born as we find them,
not changing as kittens do to. cats. The
bot fly lays her eggs upon the front legs,
OF the horse where they may be Licked
off with the tongue and thence carried
into the stomach of the animal The
warmth matches these eggs and the
grub feeds upon the contents of the
stomach and when mature as q arva
changes to pupa, and then is cast out I'M
the excrement, where they can be fire.
quently found in great numbers The
next change brings the perfect fly again
and the same process IS repeated The
meat fly, or blue-bottle fly rs it is usual
ly called, the cheese fly, which produces
the shippers in cheese, and hundreds Of
other species which we might name,