34 The Book of Bugs. 



where otherwise the sweet slops would attract flies by the 

 millions, the druggists sprinkle essence of sassafras. It 

 it rather amusing to watch a fly sail in the door and make 

 for the counter. ' Lemme see now," you can almost 

 hear him say, " I think I'il take vanilla ice-crea- And 



then he strikes that sassafras and cries: " Pue ! Let me 

 out of here quick ! ' Flies do not like sassafras at all. It 

 is rather an insistent perfume, and I do not know that I 

 myself should care for it at breakfast, luncheon, and din- 

 ner for w r eeks and weeks, all through fly-time. 



There is a cheerful story that in Italy they stretch white 

 threads across a window an inch or so apart, and if there 

 is no other outside window in line with it so that they can 

 see daylight through, the flies will not creep between, the 

 threads. They think they are spiders' webs, and they 

 know well enough that such places are better kept away 

 from. Herodotus says that the fisherman of the Tigris 

 prevented the flies and gnats from biting by wrapping 

 themselves up in their nets, for though the tormentors 

 would pierce through cloth, they feared the nets. Herod- 

 otus was a gifted man in some ways. 



Hear the conclusion of the whole matter. The armies 

 of flies are to be discomfited only by attacking the base of 

 supplies. It is an old saying that if you kill one fly, forty 

 will come to the funeral. These little skirmishes with fly 

 poison and sticky paper are useless. To fence ourselves 

 in with screens is hardly worthy of civilized people. It 

 is like living in forts besieged by savages. It is some- 

 times said that the old-fashioned housekeeper who is for- 

 ever cleaning up is bothered with few insect visitors of 

 any kind. But I put up an umbrella against the storm of 

 indignation sure to break over my head by declaring that 

 the most scrupulous cleanliness will not avail when 

 there is a stable near. One stable will keep a large 



