Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-28
NO.. IT..
TIE MISSION OF THE HOUSE FLY.

The fly when it alights rubs its hind lecs
together; then each hind leg is passed
over a wing then the same operation ia
performed with the fore legs; and then. if
you observe closely, you will see Mr.. Fly
pass his trunk or proboscis over his legs
and about his body as far as he can reach.
The trunk terminates in two large lobes,
which spread ort when the insect begins
meal and is capable of being drawn
back rapidly; but though thus constituted
it is not fitted for licking. but simply for
grasping and drawing up food. What the
fly does by flying around and then alight-
ing and going through the mannuvres de-
scribed has at length been successfully in
vestigated and decided by an English
chemist named Emerson, who carried out
his work by the aid of powerful micro
scope. He relates that when he first con-
ceived the idea of making the investiga-
ton he captured fine specimen and
glued its wings down to microscope
slide. On placing the slide under the in-
strument he found to his disgust that the
fly appeared to be covered with vermiu
lie tried several others, which were like
wise covered with lice, and this curious
coincidence led him to "a still further in
vestigation. Why were the flies thus af-
flicted, Or was it an affliction Watching
| one Of the flies fastened on the slide more
closely he observed the creature extend
| its proboseis and sweep it over his body,
as if he had just alighted. Wherever the
lice were the trunk went; they were dis.
appearing within its recesses the fly was
actually eating them! AT first he thought
| this vermin the fly's progeny, but further
investigation disproved this q s4sw s u
Mr.. Emerson took piece of white pa
per on which two flies had lighted and
were licking themselves, and putting it un-
der the instrument found some of the lit
tie creatures had fallen off-crumbs from
the table, so to speak. He then took the
paper, went into the kitchen and waving
it around his head, taking care that no fire
touched it during the operation, went back
to the microscope and there found ami
malcules the same as those found on the
flies. Here he had something definite.
They were not the progeny of the fly, but
animalcues floating in the air The body
of the fly is covered with coarse long
hair, and its quick motions serve to take
them up, as the hairy mouth of the whale
takes up the animalcules of the sea. When
he gets the net full the fly retircs to his
favorite recess on the window sill or in a
quiet corner, and proceeds to devour his
feast of soft shell crabs. MIR. Emerson
continued his investigations in variety of
places. and the more dirty and filthy the
place and the more fetid the odor pervad.
ing it, the richer the harvest he found the
flies had made in the animalcule line.
While the flies captured in such filthy
places were usually fat, and plethoric, and
happy, the flies found in clear and well
ventilated apartments were so lean and
miserable that when a spider caught one
of them in his "parlor" he Immediately
kicked it out as not fit to eat. Wherever
filth existed. evolving germs that might
generate disease, there Mr.. Emerson OBJ
served that the flies were most attracted,
and there they covered themselves with
the minute organisms which they greedily
devoured. From this can be deduced the
conclusion that while the mission of house
flies is one of immense Importance to man,
their presence in immense numbers. while
it indicates unhealthy exhalations also
guarantees immunity from disease to some
extent. OF course the house fly which has
penchant for bald heads, and lights on
the skin only to puncture it and draw
blood, is not here taken into account.
Such flies should not receive any credit,
even il they deserved it,