The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-06
DEALING IN DRIED FLIES.
A Central American Specimen Whose
Bite Is Often Fatal.

Bite Is Often Fatal.
From the Neto York Tribune.
II import anything under the sun that I
can see any money in" said a downtown
commission merchant in answer to a repor-
ter the other day.
Brought In anything curious lately7"
asked the inquisitive visitor.
"Weil no bric-a-b rac or curiosties of
that sort. l deal in the plain, every day,
homely products of nature, but | think
have something hero which will surprise
you for all that What do you say to a box
as big as bale Of hay, filed with the COM
pressed bodies of dried fies3"
"FliesP' exclaimed the reporter. What
kind? Spanish hiesF'
mot PARTICULARLY Spanish. just Spanish
American. They're from Mexico. and in
clude any kind Of fly tbat flies, and all kinds
Of flies that fly, | should say. James ~ to a
boy, bring scoopful Of those dried files
for this young man to write aboutp
James went with grin to bale in the
warehouse behind the office, and came back
with shining brass scoop running over
with thin, dry, fat things, which on inspec-
tion proved to be flies Of all sizes and col
ors, with a sediment Of broken wings and
detached legs.
What are they torn asked the reporter.
People buy them to feed to their singing
birds ! sell them retail to the dealers, who
tell me they are especially good for some
birds at any time, and for others at certain
times Of the year"
81 should say they would prove pretty
expensive diet just think of the time and
labor spent in catching so many aies!n
You forgot, young man. that a Mexican
Indian is not a Knight of Labor. His time
is about as valuable as that of setting
hen. Flies are thicker, too, in the tropical
III n,zE l.
ot-something like mosquitoes in New
Jersey swamp, or shall we say. as thick as
blanks in lotteryp
"Wen," continued the speaker, ''the
Mexican Indian who can no longer sleep in
his hut on account of the swarms of flies
attracted by the filth which accumulates
about his front door, sometimes is stung
into desire for revenge on his enemies.
Revenge is sweet, and sweeter IL there is
any money in it. He goes to the woods and
collects number of green twigs Of a GER
tain trea These he lays in pile on the
floor OF his hut, with some dry twigs under
them. Then from another tree he gets a
gum, which he boils in a thin syrup and
spreads on the walls of his hut The flies
are attracted by Its fragrant and far-reach.
ing odor. They gather to feed on it, When
the hut is black with them the Indian sets
fire to the twigs on the floor and closes the
apertures from the outside. The twigs emit
an aromatic smoke which kills the flies and
they fall to the floor III thousands Then
the natives wife dries them while be goes to
sleep again"
Here's find for you," continued the
merchant, as he singled out a bigger fly
than usual. "This is a specimen Of the
man-eating fly OF Central America. This
is fly which inhabits the low-lying coast
regions OF Central America, and 10 much
dreaded by the natives for the fearful re-
suits which follow Its sting. Naturalists
call it Luoilia Hominivora. The average
specimen is about a third of an inch long.
1t has big head, as you see, with the eyes
on top. Its cheeks are a golden yellow, its
abdomen dark blue with purple bands, its
legs black, its wings unusually big, and they
produce q continuous and loud buzzing when
in motion.
1.-THE person bitten by this fly gets dis
case called myiasis. 1t generally begins
with an itching Of the nose, then that Or
gan swells and bleeds. next it becomes ulcer
ated, and in these ulcers may be found the
larvae of the fly. The whole face becomes
swollen, erysipelas sets in, followed by
meningitis aud death. One man. l knew,
shot himself after he had been bitten, rather
than face the fortunes he knew were Ger
tain. Cure Ia difficult. Simultaneous in
jectlons Of chloroform sometimes do good
but as often fail. One man / heard of was
cured by lemon juice injected into his
blood"