The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-07
TRICKS or FLIES T4SPS.
The Observant Jer-cymnu Warns His WIZ,
Against Iss-ct Deception.

There Is going to be a plague Of flies this
coming summer. | am sure" exclaimed the
observant Jerseyman's wife one bright day in
January. for there hasn't been a day 20 far
this winter when | have not found live flies in
the house. That is a sure sign. | found a live
wasp crawling on n window pane yesterday
also. | cut him In two with the scissors"
DO ,ou suppose the wasp is really dead ~
asked the ~Jerseyman. III you DO. you are TO;
aware OF the curious vitality OF many insects.
As regards wasps. | made some experiments u
few years ago with curious results. | was camp
ing that summer ut the foot OF Mount Marcy. at
the Bouquet lakes. ard me day wien | Gtd BEEN
left TO keep camp time hung heavily OF. my
hands. ! chopped enough wood for two days,
stole somo maple sugar aud slices of raw salt
pork from the joint stores and ate them on the
sly. and WAS wondering what else ! could do be-
fore tbs Others got back from trout fishing and
sketohing. Then I noticed some wasps feeding on
the bits OF maple sugar that l had dropped.
Without any definite purpose In Wow. ! got ont
a pin and, carefully posing II. ! made q jab
and stuck II through the thoraI OF one OF the
wasps. cut on q bit OF birch bark from tho
big pieces that thatc he'd our camp shelter. and
pinned him to IL. Then. with my pocketknife.
] stole upon another wasp, and, catching him
a; the slender part, between his thnraX and ah-
domen. ! cut him in two partg. Then | attacked
q third wasp and cut his head of.
"TurnIng to my frst victim. | was surprised
to frd that he had not abandoned the bit OF
maple sugar that he was eating when l stuck
the pin through him; he was still eating Il, ap-
p~Arently not at all disturbed BY the pin through
his body. | looked for the other wasps
which had fallen under my knife. found
tho one that had lost his head walking
around full Of life, hut could not find
the head. Tho other wasp that had lost
his abdominal part was also full OF lie.
lie tried To ny away when | put nv
fingers down to catch him., evidently not know
ing that he had lost pretty nearly half his
weight and was all Unbalanced. lie rose In the
al and then went tumhliug about like II Z lown.
] also found his severed abdomen, and seer rcA
1t, but not without narrowly escaping II viclou-
thrust OF the sting, for the abdomen. too, was
The abdomen. the wasp that had lost II and
tho headlrss wasp. | confined together In n
porous box which made OF birch bark, and |
concluded to Satch them all Rs well as the one
! had secured with the pin. had one more pin,
and. securing another wasp, | pinned him fast
seemed composed. | offered him a orumb OF
maple sugar; lie accepted II anu hogan to eat
II ut once, lhru u curious thing happened; IL
reminded me OF tho story Of baron Munchaus-n
whom he captured a city nnAided. lie rode for.
memb-red. and rushed through the omen gate,
and then. Supposing that his men were behind
| NlIl. hpuTTfu lfTNhTu anu lbNEl' until tle enc
my were either all dead or subdurd. Then.
stopping to give ms. horse some water, he heard
n peculiar sound behind HIM and twisting him.
self IN tho saddle. found that his horse had b'en
cut ia two last back ~ the saddle by the iaiIiN.
portculiIs, and that the water was pouring 1u,
of hts horses bCiy ne Ia,t rs the horse tuun n
into his mouth, 50 With the wasp. As he had
40 abdomen, the sugar, dissolved by tho juires
OF The wAsp's mouth. gathered In u browns.
RlnbElc at the severed ui"Go AMI dried tnriv
The wasp, however, Fnve evidences that no wa
greatly enjoying his meal Of maple sugar.
The wasp without = mead was the only one
that seemed IN Il pltinI,C condition. lie WHs
just AS full Of life NJ tho others, hut IL was rvi,
dent that he had no object IN life. He moved
about without object aud MAS Ike u piece OF
machinery.
W stayed in that camp four days longer
And when we lett I. had 10 abandon my wasp
nut up tU the last moment every one OF ihri,
was alive and the severed abdomen OF the uhC
would thrust forth its stilR u touched" ,
We'll ~ the Jtr-eytnan's wife exclaimed
how am ! to XIII the hOrrld things then p
"Oh. they Will die finally II you cut them In
two. but you had better let them live aud
merely turn them out OF doors. They will hell
you kill OF the nies..
As for the flies. they are sometimes easy u
| kill and sometimes not. IL depends upon how