236 Forty-fourth Report on the State Museum 



Mrs. Graves' Account of the Fly. 



Its first notice. — The first appearance of the fly was in the last of 

 July or early part of August in 1882 or 1883, on the brick wall of the 

 northeast side of the house, under a veranda. After that, they came 

 each summer at about the same time upon the veranda, when the 

 annoyance of their humming [probably in slow flight] would compel 

 the family to leave their seats and find shelter within doors during 

 the middle of the day. This would continue for about three weeks, 

 when they would disappear as suddenly as they came. Occasionally 

 one would be seen within doors during the winter months. 



Observed within doors. — Three years ago, in February, "swarms" of 

 the fly were discovered in the north-east corner room of the first floor 

 (the house is a double one, steam-heated, and the occupied rooms are 

 mainly on the south side). Since then they have increased in number 

 each year, and at their last coming, they have been exceedingly 

 numerous, and have " swarmed on the windows all winter." With 

 the exception of stray individuals they are confined to this one 

 apartment. 



In the sleeping rooms, a few — three or four — were occasionally 

 found concealed beneath pillows, stand-covers, etc. When routed 

 out from their retreats, they would depart with an " angry buzz." 



Not controllable by Pyrethrum powder.— Attempt was made to destroy 

 them with pyrethrum. All that were seen could be killed by this 

 means, but the following day they would be found as numerous as 

 before, while the source of the new-comers could not be ascertained. 

 It was thought that they were hidden in the wall between the brick 

 and the lath-and-plaster. 



New quarters. — The past winter, the front vestibule had been for 

 the first time infested with them, and during the spring, they were 

 observed on a veranda on the second floor, over the porte-cochere. 

 When the nights were cold, those seen on the outside of the house, 

 found shelter between the window frames and the brick: those in the 

 inside were observed creeping into the openings in the frames in 

 which the window-cords ran. 



Some annoying habits. — Except by their innumerable presence, at 

 the time of their advent and departure, they were not seriously 

 annoying to the person. The servants of the house declared that 

 they were bitten or stung by them, but this must have been wholly 

 imaginary. They would often alight on the hands and face, over 

 which they would creep unpleasantly, and at times become entangled 

 in the hair, when their peculiar " buzz " would be given. Their 



