Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-08-11
THE FLY.
lis Activity and other characteristics Good
and Had.

lis Activity and other Characts rlutics Good
aud had.
The fly Is not IN uninteresting animal
by any means, II his disagreeable relation
to man can DO efIaced from considera-
ton. He is very energetic. The earliest
dawn arouses him, and nothing abates
his activity until dusk robs him of his
dear light and puts him to roost on cell
ing or wall. His movements are ex-
tremely quick and animated. He walks
about with rapidity to make one sup.
pose he is engaged in the most vitality
useful Of tasks and has to get through to
meet n sharp appointment. When he
flies it is not the sustained dignity and
directness of tho bee, for example, but
it is series 1t zig-zags, with corners
very sharp, reminding one very much of
mn auctioneer, darting hither and thither
upon n bidder. Even when he seems to
be taking his ease and shade in hot
moons beneath the trees his reposc con-
sists merely of retaining pretty much
the same position MI the time by squar-
ing it or flying off and returning at
tangents to it, so that you must wonder
Mt the immense resources the animal ex-
ponds in never getting on and never
wishing to get on. Indeed, he is never
quiet save when he is eating or asleep.
Doubtless his quiet eating is only ap.
parent, for from the time he spends at it
he must be working very busily with his
mouth. And as for his quiet, when he
is asleep, it is very clear to mortals that
his legs would be much more at ease if
he went regularly to bed on his back,
instead of hanging by his feet in that
rash trapeze-performer style. And then
his acute sagacity in finding his meals.
How readily he finds his human prey out
rs it lies asleep before the tables are set
and the groceries are open! How far
reaching his discernment of sugar and
carrion! With what genius does he
find the weak, unprotected places of the
horse and the dog and the COW! What
discriminating contempt has he for the
cat, whom he rarely touches, and is apt
to get caught if he does ! How admirable
his easy improvidence, which makes
him live to eat and love and sleep, and
his ardent faith, which intrust his
numerous brats to the fortuitous kind
nesses of that ever reliable guardian,
future Take him altogether, men can
learn good lesson from him if they feel
like it this warm weather, albeit they
cannot learn it all until they see him die
next fall in the first nipping adverse
breath.
And lastly, for the usefulness of the
fly - not n real apparent usefulness
which, after all, might win this enemy
some little esteem, but rather that USE
fitness which natures God has beauti-
fully arranged to come out even from
the selfishness of the creature as honey
from the dead lions jaw. 1t is his
voracity which makes him scavenger,
ind most useful one, as any one who
watches his feeding places may see.
And further than this, his rapid and
erratic and net.like fight upon his
forays for food and diversions of love
and siestas in the shade are said to be
most useful in clearing the air of millions
of tiny insects and germs, which he
gathers upon his glutinous case as he
goes upon his may way, and which he
scrapes off with those forefcet of his
into the DUST of death for man S benefit
With this last moral may be pointed
by the reader unless prevented by
"theres that pesky fly again."