The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-09
ABOUT THE COMMON FLY
Not the Kind That is Put Into One 5
Lemonade.
But THE INSECT PESTlFEROUS
An Entertaining and Instructive Homily
on the Anatomy and Habits Of
Familiar Specimen Of tho
Animal Kingdom.
From the Reading Times.

From the Reading Times.
If the fly We're possessed of sense of
humor it would surely find amuse-
ment from she manner in which its
whole life bids defiance to mans So
cial code. Hatched unon heap of the
most revolving filth In whose midst the
whole of its larva and pupa statis are
passed, and which will again serve as
cradle and nursery for its own young
-unabashed by it's lowly origin-it pre-
sumes in it's perfect form not only to
enter fearlessl. our houses, churches,
palaces anG courts of justice, but pene-
trates into their most sacred recesses,
and actually assumes everywhere to
take precedence of man himself. And
this is not all. Without hesitation it
thrusts itself uDon the privacy of his
table, his sleeping apartments, even his
bath; and, IN each place, seems more
unbearably intrusive and self-assert-
ing than in the last.
1T insists upon a first taste Of his
most costly and delicate plat. 1t sips
from his cup before he has had time
to raise it to his own lips. BY its rush.
ings, its buzzings, its billings and it's
ever-returning treadings with tickling
feet upon the most sensitive portions
of his person. it, at times, nearly sue
ceeds in driving man to abandon that
, most cherished of all his possessions,
his hearth and home.
In an ancient Greek fable our enemy
is made to say of himself: 1T Is we'll
| known what my pretensions are and
how justly they are founded; there Is
never a sacrifice that is offered, but l
| always taste the entrails, even before
the gods themselves. l have free ad-
| mission at court. and can never want
tie Kings ear, for sometimes sit upon
his shoulder And then, eat and drink
of the best of everything without hav-
ing to work for my living. What life
| is to be compared to mine?'
THE Fly FAMILY.
The fly family is so very large that
it would be impossible to crowd even
| the names of it's different varieties into
the space which is permitted to my
little sketch. Naturalists have already
discovered more than eight hundred
| sDecieS, and some one or more OF these
many kinds are to be found in almost
every part of the world. Wherever
animal or vegetable life can flourish,
| where food can be found or eggs de-
posted. there fly or some sort is sure
| to be. Maigen. who ranks, | believe, as
very high authority on European flies
and their kindred, counts the species
| of the old world as numbering about
! five hundred and fifty. OF these there
| are nearly one hundred kinds to be
| found in England alone. Here in Amer
| lea we have as many more-then, as
| Australia has her peculiar breeds, you
will perceive how formidable the list
might grow Indeed, Cuvier once said
of it: "Well may the young student be-
| come alarmed
But fortunately for us, there is no
reason at present why we need be ap-
palled at is dimensions, for we have
only to do with.
THE COMMON HOUSE FLY.
or rather house flies. Even among
! these, our wcll-known little house
mates, there Is a difference so marked
that dare say many of my readers
although they may be unversed In
| specics-have themselves noticed it.
! One of these, the Harpgia, Is nearly
as often inside our houses as even
| Musca DomestiCa itself. 1t always en-
| ters on the approach of rain, and has &
| somewhat emphatic, If not attractive
| way of calling our attention TO it's spe-
| cial personality 1t rcjoices in the pos
| session of particularly long. slender
and lancet-iike proboscis, which 1t
| fairly inserts by way of greeting into
the person of some member of the fami-
| ~. Just as soon as possible after its
| arrival lliuDOTS. liS bltc - vi ltdi o'-
verify, is often felt through more
| than one thickness nf clothing and gen.
orally draws blood. This amiable guest
| of ours carries her proboscis raised
when the thirst of blood Is upon her;
| at other times she either retracts it. or
wears it pressed against her thoraX.
THE PROBOsCIS or TIE FLY
is most interesting. When examined
| through the microscope 1t shows great
| beauty. as well as Il wonderful adap-
| tation to the work which 1t has to
perform. 1t Is formed of tube-like
development of a portion of the under
| lip, and IL composed of a soft, spongy,
| muscle like mass. 1t Ii divided into
| sections, and can be doubled up, elong-
atcd, left exposed or drawn within the
head. mt the pleasure of the insect A
powerful muscle shaped like a very mi
mute nose extending throughout its en-.
tire length, and 1t is lined with the
| finest imaginable hairs, The end ter