Middletown transcript., 1881-08-05
TheFlY.

We have few words to say abOtit tin
fly. At this time of year great man.
people have something to say about TIN
fly, but much that is said about hin
wouldn't do to put in print.
The little fly is the constant companion
of man and woman. If you were los
from Sunday school excursion, and cas-
upon barren and desolate island, where
the foot of man had never trod before, you
wouldn't any more than get your lunch
unpacked until social fly would be on
hand, wading through the butter up to
where his suspenders would button, if he
wore suspenders.
1t will pay you to study the delicate
architecture of the fly through a micro
scope and see how fearfuIly and wonder
fully he is put together. His eyes are 50
cunningly contrived that he can see 1900
ways at once, and he has a sort of double
barreled proboscis with tickling ar
rangement on the end of it that will set
bald-headed man wild in three seconds.
The fly has a latin name, napScG domes-
tica, but if you were to call him that, for
best-as sort of Sunday name, for in
stance-he would probably think you
were only "cussing" him.
Flies have strong social instinct. Every
one that is in a room with you will be
nervous and discontented until he gets
thoroughly acquainted with you and sur
veys your face off into town lots, stopping
here and there to make a mark SO that he
will know the place again when he sees it.
The fly is chock full of vanity, too. He
is proud Of his shape. Did you ever see
him, when you have been taking an after
noon nap, sit upon your noble brow and
single inning? We have. Then, after
he gets his back hair fixed to suit him, he
will brush-up his side whiskers, smooth
down his polonaise and march around
with as much self importance as a young
man in his first stove-pipe hat.
There is fly Of another order Of archi-
lecture, called the "stable fly" He car
ries dagger in his proboscis, and when
he picks out claim on you and bores for
oil, you think some cold-blooded assassin
has stabbed you with brad-awl. It
makes a man terribly mad to be bored
into by one of these voracious birds of
prey, because they bite all. out of proper
tion to their size. These flies are very
much like the common house fly, in gen
eral appearance, but you can readily tell |
,he former from the latter after he has |
bitten you.
Flies seem to all die off in the fall, but |
here must be enough left for seed, as
here has never been a short crop yet.
There is hardly ever less than five hun
lred bushels to the acre, whether the sea-
on is wet or dry.
Ingenious people have contrived various
to reduce the supply Of flies,
nd keep it down to the demand but
here are still about as many flies as ever.
fly is entrapped and killed
nd then 1000 of his relations come in to
onduct the funeral ceremonies, and they
re generally so well pleased with the
lace that they don't care to go away
gain.
We don't like flies, living or dead. We
ont like 'em gamboling around over the
are place on top of our head, and we
ont like 'em baked in our huckleberry
ie. An insect that will fly into your
offee and lose his life to annoy You, when
e can see 1000 ways to keep away from
lere, or that will crawl into a loaf of nice
read and be baked up just for the
lalicious purpose of surprising you when
on bite into it, is a mighty mean one,
lat's all.
If you want to hear US say anything
lore about the fly call at the office when
e are not busy.