Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-26
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE FLY.
There Are More Than Forty Thou
sand Species of These Remarkable
Little Pests.

1t has been said that there are as
many flies as there are fruits. This
is not literally true; nevertheless,
there are some 10000 known species,
of which 5000 to 1000 inhabit the
British Isles. The Diptera, as the
name implies, are two winged in
sects; but the rudiments of a second
pair still remain in the form of
dminutive, drum shaped appendages.
known as the balancers. Their use
is not definitely known, but expert
ment shows that. when damaged or
destroyed, the flight of the insect els
seriously impaired, becoming an as
cending spiral. but otherwise direc-
. tionless. In the house fly there are
/ complicated gland-like organs at the
| base of the balancers, also of I'M
known function. A suggestive form
of fly which affects the coats Of red
deer. when securely lodged thereon
casts or bites off it's wings; hence, if
red deer were as numerous as man.,
a gradual diminutiop in the use of
wings would rise and ultimate dis
appearance of these organs might en-
sue. Some similar process probably
flea, which is Wingless type of Dip
teron.
Flies are the elite of the insect
world, both as regards structure and
metamorphosis. This latter is more
complete than in any other insect,
because during pupation the whole of
the organs of the larval stages are
dissolved into a creamy fluid (es-
sentially a return to the egg stage).
and from this arise the very different
organs of the image or perfect in
sect
The eggs are laid in organic refuse.
and in this land of plenty the young
grubs eat vigorously, grow quickly,
form a hard case with loose top seq
ment which is finally pushed off TO al
low of the exit of the perfect insect.
AS this energies from the pupa, so it
remains during life. 1t never in
creases in size, and the small flies of
the spring are different species to the
larger ones of a later season. Like
all insects, flies are divided into three
segments-head, thorax and abdomen,
with their appendages. They breathe
througe holes in their sides {spira-
CltSt, NIlICll are lffft 10 i
complete system of tubes, a valve at
| the end of each opening preventing
| the expulsion of air, which can thus
travel in one direction only.
The air is pumped through these tubes
by the aid of an ingenious pumping de
vice situated at the opening to the tuges
the walls of which are surrounded by rings
| of a horny substance, to prevent then
from collapsing and by blood vessels
| through which the air is forced finally
| leaving the body through the skin. This
| perfect aeration of the blood explains
| the strength of flies, they being able &c
support GO to 20 times their own weight
| Spiracles are associated with the buzzinl
noise commonly thought to be generated
| by the motion of the wings If the wing:
are removed the sounds are produced
| with equal loudness. The tongue, or pro
| boscis, is furnished with fine tubes
| which exude "A saliva, thus dissolving su
/ gary substances, which, if too large
can be broken up by small teeth, thus
| facilitating the formation of strip
! Their eyes are each compounded of 200
/ siX-sided facets. each at the summit of ;
! tube, at the base of which is connected :
nerve hber There are three smaller
eyes forming a triangle above and be
! tween these with the apex toward th'
| front of the head. Their use is unhnown
| If vanished, flight is not affected; bu
] if the compound eyes are vanished tn,
power to direct flight is seriously de
ranged. experiments show that flies AZ,
| more responsive to air currents (denoUn:
J the approach of danger than to light
and depend more upon this than upoI
| vision In proof of this, If a wasp /
placed in q glass lumber the bottom o
which is turned to the light and the opel
end placed in shadow, the creature viii
exhaust itself in its efforts to get out a
the closed end, and remain Indifferent t.
the easy exit at the other. This is no
so with the house fly. If the open end O
the glass be covered efforts will be Iii
rected more or less equally all over tn
glass: and, if a movement of the cove
is made sufficient to leave space for exit
the fly is Immediately sensible of tn
draught through that space, and make
a hurried departure, Flies are NOR
easily caught by slow movements-a fac