The Penn's Grove record., 1911-07-21
Waging War On the Fly

A short time ago the National Geo
graphical Society, with headquarters in
Washington, D. c., undertook the study
| of the fly, the household pest that has
| been the worry of thousands OF house
wives over the entire world. The study
was so interesting, the features OF the
fly SO peculiar and dangerous, that it
was gone into thoroughly. Warnings
were sent broadcast over the country Of
the danger of the common house lily.
Three thousand dollars was spent by the
society for a single enlarged photograph
of a fly. This photograph was about
two feet square and showed all the va
rious parts of the insect. 1t was made
with a specially manufactured camera
and was the work OF many months.
| Copies were made from the photograph
and used in the many city newspapers
| of the country as warnings of the danger
of the house fly.
But the above mentioned society is
not the only one that has interested it
| self i n the determination of the fly. The
Department of Agriculture in Washing
| ton has also taken up the mater. They
have issued warnings to housewives,
| telling them of the fy's disease-spread-
ing habits. In this way there has been
| started a sort of war on the insects,
| probably the most dangerous pests we
have to contend with.
City authorities in many Of the larger
citys have also made Investigations,
found where the numerous flies were
originated in dumping grounds, and had
these places abolished. Children, OF
course are the principal victims of the
fly. According to a reliable reckoning,
flies will kill rs, 0 of the little ones in
this country this summer. a great ma
jority of them will be destroyed by what
is known as summer complaint" OF
which disease, by fouling milk and other
food supplies, the house fly is almost the
exclusive distributing agent.
A study Of the house fy's rather COM
pick anatomy has shown that the in
sects stomach, which is very large, is
located near the tail end of its body.
Thus, when it eats, one may see this
part swell visibly. But the organ in
question might more properly be termed
a crop, inasmuch as it is merely a reser-
voir-to contain the food for a while un-
til the animal is ready to attend to the
bus mess of digestingit.
Nearly the whole of the rear segment
of the fy's body, outside of the crop, is
occupied by an air cavity, so as to al
low the food storage reservoir to extend.
The so-called 'brain" Of the insect is in
the rear portion Of the head, but it is not
certain that this is not merely an optic
lobe, having to do only with visual per-
ceptions, and related directly to the large
eyes. The antennae are provided with
curious plumes, which may have some
thing to do with the sense of hearing,
responding to vibrations. 1t is well
known that the fly has no apparatus for
biting.
Its proboscis terminates in a very
elaborate organ which tastes and feels
and which incidentally serves the pur-
pose OF a strainer, allowing only very
small particles to pass through. The
whole affair, together with the esoph-
agus, is modified for sucking. Nearly
the whole front OF the fy's head is oc-
cupied by two large eyes, each OF which
is i'll reality several thousand eyes i'll
one. 1t is a very wonderful and elabo-
rate visual continuance, and in view OF
its size and complexity one is at no loss
to understand why the fly is able to see
so we'll.
Many people have perhaps noticed that
the common house fly has a voice. Its
buzz is a different matter, being caused
by the rapid vibration of the insects
wings. But if one watches a fly on the
window pane one will sometimes hear it
cry out i'll a very fine note Of high pitch
quite distinguishable from any other
sound. The same note Will occasionally
be audible to a sensitive ear when one fly
S chasing another about the room.
As for the buzz, the wing beats which
produce it vary in number with different
flies, but commonly u up to four hun
drsd to a second.
The house fly depends almost entirely
for its existence and multiplication upon
the horse. Stables are the principal
places OF breeding for the insects, and
these should be carefully looked after.
The fly can be described as very hun
cry and very thirsty, for it is always
after food or drink, 1t drinks constantly
and if deprived Of it will soon die of
thirst. 1t will consume o~ne-fourth of its
weight at a single meal, or even one
hall of its weight when hungry.