The Grey Flesh-Flies 



apparatus; and the same with every other part 

 of the body. There is nothing but one bare, 

 smooth, white skin. And this sightless crea- 

 ture, deprived of any special nervous points 

 served by ocular power, is extremely sensitive 

 to the light. Its whole skin is a sort of retina, 

 incapable of seeing, of course, but able, at any 

 rate, to distinguish between light and darkness. 

 Under the direct rays of a searching sun, the 

 grub's distress could be easily explained. We 

 ourselves, with our coarse skin, in comparison 

 with that of the maggot, can distinguish be- 

 tween sunshine and shadow without the help 

 of the eyes. But, in the present case, the prob- 

 lem becomes singularly complicated. The sub- 

 jects of my experiment receive only the dif- 

 fused light of the sky, entering my study 

 through an open window; yet this tempered 

 light frightens them out of their senses. They 

 flee the painful apparition; they are bent upon 

 escaping at all costs. 



Now what do the fugitives feel ? Are they 

 physically hurt by the chemical radiations? 

 Are they exasperated by other radiations, 

 known or unknown? Light still keeps many 

 a secret hidden from us and perhaps our op- 

 tical science, by studying the maggot, might 

 become the richer by some valuable informa- 

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