Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-07-16
THE GAZETTE.
FRIDAY EVENING, JULY 16.
THE MISSION OF THE FLY.


Why are flies has been perpetual query
with housekeepers and persons who would take
MONDAY maps 10 hot weather. The question
has been answered by Mr.. Emerson, an Eng
ilsh chemist, whose experiments are recorded
10 the Scientific American. In the light Of the
revelations of that gentleman's Investigations
the tiy assumes the position Of an important
TREND instead of pest to mankind
Did you ever watch fly who has just alight-
ed after soaring about the room for some little
timer He goes through series of operations
which reminds you OF a cat licking herself af
ter meal, or of bird pluming its feathers
First, the hind feet arc rubbed together, then
each hind leg is passed over a wing, then the
forelegs undergo like treatment; and lastly,
If you look sharp, you will see the insect carry
his proboscis over his legs and about his body
as far as he can reach. The minute trunk is
perfectly Ietractie, and it terminates into two
large lobes, which you can see spread out when
the insect begins meal on lump Of sugar
Now the rubbing together of legs and wings
may be . smoothing operation; but for what
purpose is this carefully going over the body
with the truck, especially when that organ is
not fitted for licking, but simply for graspiDg
and sucking up food.
Mr.. Emerson states that he began his self
appointed task of finding out whether the
house ty really serves any appreciable purpose
10 the scheme of creation, excepting as an in-
different scavenger, by capturing fine speci-
men and gluing his wing down to microscope
slide. On placing the slide under the nstru-
ment. to the investigators disgust, the fly ap.
peared covered with lice, causing the offending
insect to be promptly released and another SUBJ
stituted In his place. Fly No. was no better
q N | fha o,cba
predicated Of fees 3, 4, 5, Tor of d flies, as the
algebras have it, Mr.. Emerson concluded that
here was something which at once required
looking ioto. Why were the flies lousy Mean
while fly No. 2, on the slide, seemed to take
his position very cody. and extending his pro-
boscis began to sweep it over his body as if he
had just alighted. A glance through the mi
croscope, however, showed that the operation
was not one of Standardization, for wherever
the lice were there the trunk went. The lice
were disappearing into the trunk; the fly was
eating them
He took the paper into the kitchen and
waved it around, taking care that no flies touch.
1t; went back to the microscope and there found
animalcules, the same as on flies. He had
now arrived at something definite; the animal
cules were floating in the air: and the quick
motions OF the flies gathered them on their
bodies and the flies then went into some quite
corner to have their dainty meal.
The investigator goes on to describe how he
continued the experiment in a variety of loca-
lities, and how in dirty and bad -smeng quar-
tiers be found the myriads of flies which existed
there literally covered with animalcules while
other flies, captured in bedrooms, or well-ven-
tllated, clean apartments, were misereby lean
and entirely free from their prey Wherever
Nth existed, evolving germs which might gen.
crate disease. there we're the flies, covering
themselves With the minute organisms and
greedlIy devouring the same.- Methodia.