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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Milk House, showing the close proximity of a privy which was open to flies. 

 The privy is the shed just behind the horse. The horse is standing in the drain 

 from milk house, which was being used as a wallowing place for pigs. 



a description not at all exaggerated, that the opportunities for a siege 

 of typhoid during the months that this fly is abundant with us are 

 most excellent. These conditions were found on the occasion of a 

 visit to the range in the early part of last September, the trip being 

 taken at the invitation of a member of the state board of health, who 

 was anxious to have it made clear just how far the house fly was 

 responsible for the epidemic. 



We were told that the flies were more abundant than usual this year, 

 the accuracy of which statement is open to doubt, for it is possible that 

 observations in two successive seasons were made at different dates, 

 flies naturally being more abundant in early September than in July. 

 We believe, too, that the prevailing dryness this year may have caused 

 the flies to congregate in larger numbers in the mining settlements 

 where they found an abundance of moisture and filth as well. In this 

 connection it may be said that, in riding over the range in an auto- 

 mobile at that time of the year, it was perfectly possible to realize that 

 we were approaching a settlement, some time before it came in view 

 by the odor wafted to our nostrils. Now, flies are gifted with a keen 

 sense of smell, and it is a perfectly natural supposition that they are 

 attracted from quite a distance, just as we were repelled, and that gath- 



