The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-19
WAYS OF THE HOUSE FLY.
By Nature and Entomologists All
Flies Are Divided Into
Two Classes.
Of Which One Kind Are on Man,
the Other on the
Horse.
The Former Subdivided and Considered
With Reference to Restau' ants
and Beer Gardens.

A unfinished business We may take up
&he consideration of the common ny, says
the insect editor of the New York Tribune.
Flies are as the reader undoubtedly knows,
divided by nature into what we may call
4wo Grand divisions-the house fly (Musca
aomestica) and the horse fly (Bucephalus
nrobos): the former may again be divided
into the domestic fly and the public fly; and
the nublic fy consists of two varieties, the
restaurant fly and the beer garden n.y.
Thus we have three distinct varieties OF the
Hy which preys on mantle house OF nat
fiy proper. the restaurant fly and the beer
hall fly. There is even fourth variety
the Office fy-but it is really another kind
of house fy from which it varies but llttle
and il il few in numbers and usually quickly
ends an inglorious career by becoming
Intoxicated on the ink bottle and drowning
itself in the mucilage pot. Edward
Atkinson of Boston, in recent
article in the Cape Cod Quarterly Review,
nuts the number of domestic flies in the
United States at %. 476 to the square mile,
and he says that in cities the number rises
to 100000 times this figure to the square
mile. which shows how important it is
that We have right understanding OF
creature so numerous and so bound up with
our daily lives.
The distinguishing characteristic of the
house fly is confidence and easy familiarity:
that Of the restaurant fly ill-temper and
yindictiveness: that Of the beer-room fly
indolence and subtleness. The distinguish.
ing features of the house fy-assurance and
fainiliarlty-we should say were devel-
oped by good living and being constantly
in the society of the family. The restau-
rant fly seems to owe his fiery temper and
~ ~ 10 Oh,,oo 0vf tho mar nf
both customers and walters, and to too fire.
,quent indulgence in the peppersauce bottle.
The laxiuess of the brewery or beer-garden
Ay may be clearly traced to beer, but
his subtlety and philosophical tempera-
ment come from his treatment by
never struck ut with the hand or whisked
With napkin as is the restaurant fly, nor
is he ever told to "shoo'' or lured into the
pitfall fly-paper like the house fly; he is
Treated as an equal by walters and patrons
alike. And above all he 10 employed In that
football in which two or more men seat
themselves at a table, each with drop OF
beer on the board before them, the man
Winning whose drop first causes fly to
stop and sip. Despite his apathy and ap-
parent indifference we suspect that the
and that he has the poorest opinion Of mar
of any Of the lot, but he is too philosophit
to fioht him like the restaurant fly or take
the trouble to poster him into an early
grave like the house fly.
OF the three kinds of flies under con,
sideration, though the restaurant fly is thu
best athlete, the house fly is less Otter
killed. 1t is impossible for the most activ
man to strike house fly; the restaurant fl.
is as quick or quicker in his movement
than the house fly, but he frequently grow
desperate. and, like Arnold Winkelried
fly il a believer in non resistance, if struck
he makes no effort to escape. but seem
gladly to die. We do not attribute this S
much to a lack of spirit as to feeling tina
life is not worth fighting for. But thong
the house fly cannot be struck down, i
cult to do with the restaurant fly, as i
never stops his active, offensive warfal
long enough to see trap; and the few a
tempts which have been made to trap tt
beer-Garden fly have resulted in miserab
failures, he instantly seeing through IL
scheme and walking scornfully past. II
favorite diversion Of the house fly
that of crawling over the unpr
tected scalp of bald-headed man
holding athletic sports on the face of pc
son who is trying to take an extra mornil
nap. The restaurant dy is never SO hap
az when flying violently into the eyes OF
customer after having been unsuccessful
whisked by wsiter. The beer-room
iinds his greatest JOY in alighting on t
coat-sleeves of customer and relapse
into deep thought-the most. and indes
the only, troublesome thing he ever does
TO drown himself in a patrons beer. The
three flies were originally the same-tl
their environments should produce sucl
change in them mentally should make tn,
favorite study for Darwlnites. Will
clear and comprehensive understanding
tho fly situation, the reader may now tu
strengthened and refreshed, to the tai
bill and the war in South America.