Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-05
The House Fly.
BY DIR. HIRAM A. CUTTING.

N~N-~-~NN
This common fly "Musca domestica, )" hard
ly needs any introduction to your readers,
but still its habits are not so we'll known,
and l shall risk saying something about him,
hoping to gain attention. The examination
of the proboscis of the fly reveals wonder
ful adaptability Of the mouth parts of this
insect. The structure of the tongue is not
only curious, but we'll adapted to its various
uses. When the fly settles upon a lump of
sugar, or other substance on which it is to
feed, it unbends its tongue, extends it, and
the broad knoblike end divides into two fat
muscular leaves, which thus present a suck
er.like surface, with which the fly laps up its
food These two leaves are supported upon
a framework of tracheal tubes, being 80 modi-
fed as to end in hairs projecting externally.
Thus the inside Of this broad, Aeshy expan-
sion, Is rough like rasp, and is easily en-
plOyed in scraping up hard substances. 1t
is by means OF this curious structure that
the fly occasions much mischief, as for in
stance to the covers Of books, BY scraping of
the albumiDous polish, and leaving traces of
its deprejations in the soiIed and rough ap-
pearance which it leaves behind 1t is by
the means Of these also that it leases US in
the heat of summer, when it alights on the
hand or face, to sip the perspiratiOn as it
exudes from aud is condensed upon the
skin. Where the house fly comes from is a
question often asked, and seldom answered !;
as its habits have not been very generally
observed in this country. The barn and its
vicinity is usually its birth place, and about
such places may be seen in June, now and
then, stray flies, the remnant of the last years
brood that have in some sheltered crack or
crevice passed the winter in dormant state
The cxcrements Of the horse are most desira.
BILE on which to deposit its eggs, and yet they
may for want of that material deposit them
on other refuse Of the barn, and sometimes
even on sand or loan that is made rich by
the wash of buildings The eggs hatch al
most Immediately, producing a maggOt,
Aeshy, smooth, and shining, about one third
Of an inch in length, and yellowish white.
After feeding for some time it goes into its
puPa state, having 4 reddish brown case,
about the size of the maggOt, perhaps little
shorter and thicker. In this transition case
it remains from six to ten days, according to
the warmth of the weather, emerging there
from perfect, full grown fly. have fre-
queLtly called attention to the pupa case,
asking the farmer what it was. His almost
invariable answer was, that he supposed
them oats that passed through the horse
without digestion, and in several instances
they were dosing horses for indigestion, hav-
ing noticed as they supposed this sign of it.
From this inquiry have been led to believe
that most people notice those abundant pupa
cases, but do not understand what they are
l have never known the house fly to lay III
eggs upon meat, OF anything about the house
though they sometimes do about the sink
spout or other places where slopS are thrown
out. With little care on the part Of Ou