The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-02-20
FACTS ABOUT FLY SHIPS Of MYSTERY
More Than Forty Thousand Spe-
cies of Pest Known.
Elite OF insect World, Wonderful in
Structure and Metamorphosis--
Rreaths Through Holes in
Their Sides--Aiso Have
Great Strength.


It 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, says English Mathe-
matics. The diptera, as the name inn
plies. are two-winged insects; but the
rudiments of second pair still re-
main in the form of diminutive drum
shaped appendages, known as the ball
ancers. Their use is not definitely
known, but experiment shows that,
when damaged or destroyed, the flight
of the insect Is seriously impaired,
becoming an ascending spiral. but
otherwise directionless. In the house
fly there are complicated glandlike
organs at the base of the balancers,
also of unknown function. A sugges-
tive form of fly which affects the
coats of red deer when securely
lodged thereon casts or bites off its
wings; hence, If red deer were as
numerous as man gradual diminu-
ton in the use of wings would arise
and ultimate disappearance of these
organs might ensue. Some familiar
process probably marks the evolution
of the common flea, which is a wing
less type of dipteron. Flies are the
elite of the insect world, both as re-
CARDS structure and metamorphosis.
This latter is more complete than in
any other insect, because during pu-
patton the whole of the organs Of the
larval stages are dissolved into a
creamy fluid Essentially a return to
the egg stage), and from this arise
the very different organs of the image
or perfect insect.
The eggs are laid in organic refuse,
and in this land of plenty the young
gruba eat vigorously. grow quickly,
form a hard case with loose top seq
ment which is finally pushed off to
allow OF the exit of the perfect In
sect. AS this energies from the pupa
so II remains during life. 1t never
increases In size and the small flies
Of the spring are different species to
the larger ones of a latter season.
Like all insects, flies are divided into
three segments-head, thorax and alb
domen, with their appendages. They
breathe through holes in their sides
(spiracles), which are the entrances
to a complete system of tubes, a
valve at the end of each opening pre-
venting 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 device situated at the open
ing to the tubes, the walls of which
are surrounded by rings OF a horny
substance, to prevent them from col
lapsing. and by blood vessels. through
which the air is forced, finally leaving
the body through the skin. This per-
feet aeration of the blood explains
the strength OF flies, they being able
to support sixty or seventy times
their own weight. Spiracles are as
ISOLATED with the buzzing noise com
monty thought to be generated by the
motion of the wings. If the wings
are removed the sounds are pro-
duced with equal loudness. The
tongue, or proboscis, is furnished with
fine tubes, which exude a saliva. thus
dissolving sugary substances, which.
IL too large, can be broken up by
small teeth, thus facilitating the for
nation of strip.
Their eyes are each compounded Of
1000 six-sided facets, each at the
summit of q tube at the base OF
which is connected a nerve fiber
There are three smaller eyes forming
a triangle above and below these
with the apex toward the front OF
the head. Their use is unknown. II
vanished fight is not affected: but
If the compound eyes are vanished
the power to direct flight is seriously
deranged Experiments show that
flies are more responsive to air cur.
rents (denoting the approach Of dan
ger) than to light, and depend more
upon this than upon vision. In proof
Of this If wasp is placed in a glass
tumbler, the bottom of which is turn
ed to the light and the open end
placed in shadow, the creature will
exhause Itself in it's effort to get out
at the closed end. and remain indiffer'
9nt to the easy exit at the other, This
IS not so with the house fly. If the
open end of the glass be covered eff
forts will be directed more or less
equally all over the glass; and, If a
movement of the cover is made sufd-
Gent to leave space for the exit, the
| fly is Immediately sensible of the
| 1raft through the space, and makes a
hurried departure Flies are more
,asily caught by slow movements
| fact known to some Of It's insect
,reys. who feign death to secure the
near approach of an intended victim
The nose, or organ Of smell, is cen
.ered in two feathered antennae, each
If which is covered with several thou
sand pits, each associated with q
nerve fiber. The beautiful mechan
ism of the organs of locomotion were
next surveyed, and the fly's ability tt
walk upside down and up smooth
ylass was attributed to the presence
! # a gummy secretian on two pads
at the base of each foot. Consequent
", any surface-such as the sides o.
milk bowl-covered with greasy
| material offered no football.
The hairs of their bodies point
downward. and thus the leg and wing
| ubbing which one sees continuously
| If particles of dust and parasites.