The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1906-05-31

Harold soraers. N. A. Tells whence ne
Cemess WHITTIER Ho Goes.

the most ancient writer's have mem
Toned and described him. still very
little WAS known OF his origin and
history.
II remained for the eminent Boston
biologist. DIR. A. S. Packard. I'm 1873.
20 make known his origin. habits and
transformations from the egg through
the iarva state with its two changes
TO the pOpa state, then to the perfect
fly.
Near the first OF August the female
lays about 120 eggs of a dull gray
color. selecting fresh horse manure I'm
which 20 deposit her eggs. and so Sc
creies them that they are rarely seen;
IL takes only twenty-four hours for
them TO hatch into the first form of
larya. white worm One-quarter OF
an inch I'm length and one-tenth i'm d.
ameter. They feed on the decaylng
matter OF their environment, and two
changes or casting of skips occur he,
fore they turn into the pupa state; this
change comes very suddenly. The en-
tire period from The egg to The pupa
state is from three 10 four days. II
moist food Is wanting when I'm this
condition they VIII eat each other and
thus decrease their number Heat and
homidity greatly assist their develop
-inent, as upon careful computation
each pound OF manure around stables
and outhouses develops under favora-
bic conditions over one thousand flies.
1t Is no wonder that where these con-
ditlonS exist. we have such a verItabIe
harvest OF the fly pest
In the pupa state when the fiy is
ABOUT to emerge the end of the pupa
case splits of, making hole through
which the fly pushes portion of its
head; hut here ii seems to encounter
dificuity; the pupa case is too Stiff and
hard TO pass through, but nature comes
10 It's assistance, and n sort of bladder
Nike substance forms behind the head.
which swells out apparently filled with
air; 1t acts as means Of pushing away
the pupa case and releases the fly.
When the fly first energies it runs
around with its wings soft, small and
baggy; ii is pale ana the colors are
not set; its head rapidly expands and
Tue bladder formation passes away
Within few hours the wings grow and
harden. 1t is now perfect fly.
The whole time from the deposItinc
of the egg TO the perfect fly is not over
ten days in duration. Many persons
who observe small flies i'm midsummer
suppose they are the young, but such
is not the case. they are flies that are
imperfcctly nourished in the larvae
ana pupae states and do not attain
full size, in fact, they are the dwarfs
or their race. The maize fy differs
from the female in the front OF the
head between the eyes. being at least
one-third narrower, though in size the
female is rather smaller.
In the pupa stale they are often fed
upon 10y the larvae Of some Of the
beetles, notably that of the carpet
beetle. whose pupa, the dreaded buff
falO moth" will attack the young
fly in The pupa case and eating il pos
Sess the case for itself
Adult fies, like most other creatures
have parasites of minute size that prey
upon them; these can often be seen as
presenting small red specks over the
body OF the fly.
Another enemy in the form Of fun
gus often attacks the fly in the early
autumn. This makes its appearance
as white swelling and the white
spores of the disease can he seen pcne-
tratlns the body Of the fly. which it
finally dlstendS and ruptures.
The fly hibernateS in winter. but with
his usual secretive habit. ii is very diff
fcult to find him in his winter quar-
ters. With the first chill of autumn
the flies feeling the cold. seek tenn
porary warmth in houses. and cluster
iDSs.together form punches in the cor
nerS or walls and other places. They
are then sluggish and not so active as
IN the warm weather. However. they
do not make permanent stay indoors.
hut on the first mild. sunny day, seek
the windows 10 get out and find their
permanent winter hiding place; many
prefer to make their homes in the roots
of grass on lawns where they hide
themselves so effeetually that the ice
ana snow OF winter Goes not destroy
them in their alternating state. If in
the first warm days OF spring when the
snow is gone and the grass OH the
lawns becomes dry and warm. long be-
fore the yellow dandelion shows its
head. close observer may see num-
bers of files crawling up OH the grass
to get the welcome sunshine. their
wings standing out stiff and useless:
but. they soon acquire the power of
flight in the warm rays of the sun.
great many days. however. elapse be-
fore they appear in the homes of men,
where they are such unwelcome Wis
itors.
In recent years, the medical profes-
sion have demonstrated that while the
ny itself does not propagate disease. il
is one OF the most industrious carriers
- disease germs which by contact ad
-Lere to hi> feet hairy legs and body.
distributing them to innocent victims.
If every hOuse-keeper could know all
these interesting facts which have
never before been brought to their al
tentioD, they would realize tie i'm
portance Of securing the very best IS
extprmina for