The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-10-07
The FLY AND MS WAYS.


THE FLY AND HIS WAY9.
!: Nature Has Provided Him with . Tonsso
Similar to File.
In the FIRST place the common Ay-or
. house dy-that gets into the milk and
butter and has to be kept from the
table by fans has a wonderful machine
that is carried about to make life pos
| sible. The mouth of the little black
scamp is q curious continuance to get
food out of impossible places.
This mouth is really nothing more or
less than a tongue, which runs in and
out of tho head like the tongue of q
snake. When the lowering insect sees
good spot to light on, where there is
prospect of a meal, he settles down,
shakes a leg or two, and then runs his
mouth out ready for business.
This piece of machinery seems to come
out of the head, and it will always look
that way if you don't take a good peep
at the fly through a glass some day
when he is busy on lump of sugar.
Then you will see that the tiny black
thread just unfolds from beneath tho
head, where there is a little socket pre-
pared for it.
When the tongue comes out it spreads
and the end divides into two broad,
fat leaves that are planted fat down
on the food that is to-be stolen. This
is like nothing SO much as pump with
q terribly strong draw that sucks up
all the sweet sirup there may be on the
lump of sugar.
But if the food should be hard and
the fly cannot get good hold of it he
touches a little muscle spring and the
smooth surface of his tongue roughens
up like file. Back and forth these
edges work until the hard surface is
torn and scraped, and the particles that
the fly likes are sucked up into the
stomach.
H. 1~-1 L.
six legs and uses the front pair as a
napkin, wiping off his tongue. He is a
neat little fellow and never takes a
mouthful without brushing his face
carefully. OF course it would be far
better if he should use a bit of cloth
rather than his hands-they must be
hands if four of the others are feet
but it would be a bit awkward for him
to go sailing around with napkin
tied to his belt. 1t would be funny,
too. wouldn't it?
Then the fly gives a sudden flip of
his wings, making them go SO fast that
you cannot see them, and he is off.
1dayb be he has been chewing the cover
Of a book, for there are wonderful fly
dainties concealed in the coloring mat
ter of the cloth binding, and then when
he sl<ips off he leaves little spot of |
white where he has scraped up the coll
or and eaten it. Maybe he has been |
standing on the back of your hand sip |
ping the perspiratiOn, of which he is |
very fond, and then he leaves faint |
red mark and slight singing feeling. |
Don't be alarmed, though, for tho
house fly has nothing of a poisonous
sort in him and cannot hurt you. Some
of his cousins have a way of biting and
leaving sore places, especially those
that drink blood, but the house fly is
not a cannibal. He is very we'll civil
lied.
7l,,< 70, @f i
We have not seen yet how the flies are
born. 1t is during the hot days of Au-
gust and September that most of the
eggs are laid, and as they hatch out in
a bout two weeks-sometimeS in less
than that-the swarms of the insects
become very thick at that time. AS
The cold weather comes the flies begin |
TO die off. Many of them, millions, |
ave died natural deaths before then !
the average life of a fly is about nine
lays-and millions more have trod I'M
wisely on sticky paper, and persisted
here in the gum.
Other millions have taken greedy
Ups from deadly sweets that have been
pread out on papers and in dishes to
lay them, and their dead bodies have
,een swept away into the dust bin.
Still other millions have tumbled into
he milk and gone bravely into the |
'uttcr, while few thousand have been
rushed by quick hands snapped by
ubber bands Countless numbers have
,een eaten by the birds, and even Tab
~ and Towser have snapped up a few :
hundreds.
So the great fly family has perished,
nd when the first frosts come there
re only few old grandfathers and
buzzing slowly around
boxing after the nests of eggs that
ave been laid carefully in the hooks !
nd corners to provide for the spring!
hen the cold gets too much for them 4
nd they are found some cold morning
ying on their backs or sticking fast to 1
window pane that is all white around.
So for some months there are no flies,
nd at first we are glad and speak of s
ow nice it is to be without the tor! I
1ents- But before the winter is over :
&c are apt to miss their merry brzzin9
nd feel lonesome without their CHEEKY, 4
usy presence, and we sometimes catch :
urselves wishing for a fly. !
With what glee do we hail the first :
" of spring! Why, he is like the first :
obin out on the frosty lawn. We
peak about him at the dinner table |
/ is great event.
"Pshaw!' someone says, 81 saw a fly
week ago!''
But there, what's the use of trying to
ct ahead of folks that are alwaysI
oticing little things? They are sureI
, beat you in the long run. l
How did those two early flies getl
ut? Where did they come from?l
idn'f all tho fies d;e last a,,<n,ppoI