The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-19
THE DOMESTIC FLY.
Timely Facts and Speculation Concerning
an Interesting Creature.

eh
THE common domestic fly" said . man
who is no scholar but has managed to pick
up many interesting facts. SIS altogether
too common and too domestic. She 10 one
Of the most interesting animals-
'You don't mean animals Q listener
broke in; "a fly is not an animal
'Then size must be a vegetable or a min
eral. said the first speaker. G a her which
ever you please. but she Is n OF the most
interesting creatures extant.
AN industrious female fly lays about
5000. 900 eggs. There are no indoleat flies
and few males. The fly does not set after
laying; II she did abe would be retired from
her wonted activity during longer or shorter
periods OF incubation. Her eggs hatch
without motherly attention. and 1t Is seldom
that one fails to hatch.
"The fly has 80 many eyes, the nan
who Ia no scholar went on, that she can see
in all directions at once without turning her
head O r rolling her eyes. That's w9hyit is 80
hard to hit her. A fly time poet sang:
Now doth the little busy ny
Buzz In q fellows hair,
But try to smite her hip and thigh
And. loi sho Isn't there.
sThe intelligence of flies Is an interesting
and exasperating study. One Of the ordi-
nary ways Of trying to kill flies Is to fold o
newspaper in the shape of a heavy fiat pad
and whack at them with 1t when they are
sitting still.
wow, the fly is familiar with the scientific
fact that II she sits perfectly still the de-
soending paper will make an air cushion in
front of it that n~inety-nine times out OF
a hundred will protect her from being
crushed. The concussion momentarily
stuns her and she falls to the floor appar-
emily dead, but In a few minutes she has
recovered and is again on the Job.
That's why when you strike at q ny
hard gh to spattey the butter all over
the walls she IL able 70 reappear 50 quickly
on the rim Of the sugar bowl.
when out not for food but merely for the
fun OF tantalizing you the fly knows when
she has had enough. Then she ats down
on a dark spot in the carpet and watches
you prance around the room looking for
her on the walls.
"A very rood way to catch flies Is to dis
tribute fly paper and platters Of poison on
the tables and window stills. No matter
how thick the flies are where this is done.
their number will be quickly reduced. You
can easily prove this by counting the flies
when there are a few million flies In the air
and more coming, to count up your catch
and know that a dozen or 30 will never poster
you any more.
often employed in restaurants. 1t was
the method used in the railroad restaurant
where a passenger hurried in for refresh
ment. glanced along the display OF pies
s'Give me a piece Of this hucklekprry.'
s'That amt huckleberry.' said the waiter
girl, waving her hand over the pie; it's
custard.'
sup with the lark Ia g poetical expres,
sion for early rising. Up with the fly
would be stronger II less poetic: The lark
doesn't compel you 70 get up but the fly
but the fly Ii a bird that knows no nation.
atty. II the fly would 60 away and lot
you sleep till the lark gets UP you would
have less cause for complaint.
when we were children We were taught
to believe that a fiy's foot was a wonderful
part of c~reation-that when 1t was placed
iat upon the ceiling the weight OF the fly
pulled 1t away In the centre n made q
tiny vacuum and that the pressure Of the
atmosphere around 1t. in accordance with
a law OF nature. held the fly from falling.
Several human flies broke their neoks
trying to do the same trick with artificial
flies feet before it was discovered that II
flies kept their feet clean they couldn't
walk on ceilings.
sFlies believe that mankind was created
for their amusement, and IL hal always
been a question with me which gave a fly
the moro solid enjoyment-to buzz around
your nose and make you get up a few hours
earlier in the morning than you wan to,
or TO poster You In the daytime until you
rage around the room with a paper slapper
in your. hand While she watches you from
behind a door hinge