San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-04-27
such dainty morsel he can get but
once year.
THE HOUSE Fly.

such dainty morsel no can get bu
once year.
THE HOUSE yLY.
The most persistent companion o
man is perhaps the house fly. Already
with the growing warmth of this beau
uful spring month the fly begins t.
show its familiar form in our hous Cd
and to inspire the careful housekeepel
with feelings anything but agreeable
From eighty to one hundred eggs OF
the fly are laid in decomposing vegeta.
ZION. Within twenty.four hours in
summer they hatch into footless mag.
gots, which, after rioting in filth till
their tender skins seem ready to burst
from repletion, become full fed in less
than week, and, descending into the
earth or burying under some old board,
contract to brown, shining objects,
rounded at both ends. Within the
darkness OF this hardened skin profound
changes rapidly take place and the in
sect passes to the perfect state, and
finally in about five days the anterior
end of the puparium is pushed off and
the fly quickly crawls out. At first its
parts are frail and soft, and its wings
are crumpled and useless, but these
soon expand, and suddenly, without
practice or teaching, the new fedged
fly wings its way to your table to mock
your displeasure, to share your repast.
The length of time required from
Matching to maturity varies with the
season and temperature, but will not
exceed ten days in midsummer, while
the life of the perfect fly lasts about
three weeks at the same season. As
cold weather approaches propagation
ceases and the old flies perish. A few
of the more vigorous females, however,
retreat to some nook or Granny, where,
in state of topper, they survive until
the ensuing spring.
PARAsITIsM.
This external parasitism in insects,
however, less remarkable than that
which is internal. If should tell you
that I know certain kinds of birds
which tore holes into the bodies OF
COWS, sheep and other herbivorous an
imsls and therein deposit eggs; that
these eggs hatch into lizards, that these
lizards grow fat at the expense OF the
sheep, but without Immediately killing
them; that, in fact, sheep so affected
could live without eating for years,
where otherwise it would die in few
DAYS without food; that the lizerds IN
time left the body of the sheepin num-
bers and burrowed into the ground
and that finally, after the lapse OF an
indefinite period, they issued forth IN
the form of birds like their parents
why, not one of you would believe me,
but it is q fact.
THE MOSQUITO.
The mosquito was not born winged
fly. If you examine tub OF rain water
you may see the female supporting her.
self on the water with her four front
legs and crossing the hinder pair like
the letter X. In this support made by
the legs she is depositing her eggs,
which are just perceptible with the
naked eye, and which, by the aid OF a
lens, are seen to be glued together so
as to form little boat, which knocks
about on the water till the young hatch.
From o calculation by Barren Labour
the mosquito in flight vibrates it's
wings 5000 times in minute. Mos
ouitoes have caused the rout of armies
and the desertion of cities.
These are but few of the interesting
but generally unknown facts in natural
history which Prof. Riley entertain
ingly related, although the lecture was
the most popular of any yet delivered.