AND CHEESE-MITES. SOS 



the grub has assumed the chrysalis state, it becomes of a black 

 colour ; now I have constantly found the case of the pupa of a 

 chestnut brown, both when the pupa was inclosed, and after it 

 had extricated itself from its envelope. The fly is also de- 

 scribed as of the size of the common domestic fly, and of a 

 blackish-green colour, shining. My specimens are glossy as 

 well as that above-described, but the size is only from two 

 to three lines in length, and of a slighter make in proportion 

 than the domestic fly ; the colour is a light liver-brown, with a 

 reflection of bronze ; they are so very different from any 

 other flies that are found in houses, that a person who is 

 acquainted with them knows them easily, even at the distance 

 of three or four yards. They in general appear in the month 

 of May, or beginning of June, according to the forwardness of 

 the spring or summer. 



As I have heard many persons complain that it was impos- 

 sible to preserve bacon from the attacks of the hopper, it perhaps 

 may not be uninteresting to in-door economists to relate the 

 manner in which I save my bacon, and preserve it uninjured, 

 even to the next summer, if required, and also an occurrence 

 that has confirmed me in its efficacy. As soon as the flitches 

 are dry, after being hung to not later than the last week in 

 April, I prepare some bags of strong brown paper, large enough 

 to hold one gammon or ham, and a little of the open end to 

 spare. I then separate the hams and gammons from the 

 middles, put them into the bags, and either tie the neck 

 of the bag up quite close, or else double it and sew it 

 through the doubled part, taking care that there are no holes 

 in the bags occasioned by tying them up, and never un- 

 covering them again until they are wanted for use, and then 

 only the particular one that is required. The occurrence 

 alluded to above happened a few years ago. A neighbour 

 asked me to permit him to dry three hams in my kitchen, as 

 his was very low and confined. I accordingly consented — the 

 hams were brought — but whether through bad management in 

 the salting or not I cannot tell ; (it was certainly rather late in 

 the season when they were cured ;) however, before they had 

 hung three weeks, I could perceive a quantity of flies hovering 

 about them. In another fortnight or three weeks they literally 

 swarmed in the kitchen, and penetrated to every room in tht; 

 house full as much as the domestic fly. I began to tremble with 



