THE COMMON HOUSE-FLY. 145 



The same remedies as those mentioned against the sheep- 

 tick should be appHed in this case. 



Some birds, such as hawks and owls, almost always 

 harbor a number of such winged parasites among their 

 feathers, and taxidermists are often tormented by them 

 when skinning such birds. But other birds do not escape, 

 for instance the louse flj' illustrated in fig. 124- was found 

 upon a pet Grossbeak. 



J. OTHER FLIES. 

 {Diptera). 



A very large number of insects belonging to the order of 

 Diptera or Flies, Avhich includes insects that possess but two 

 wings instead of four, are more or less troublesome to man 

 and domesticated animals. Some simply irritate them by 

 running over their bodies; others live upon the moisture 

 (sw^eat, etc.), that is found upon the skins of their hosts; 

 still others suck their blood, and some enter them bodily, 

 causing sores and even death. 



THE COMMON HOUSE-FLY. 



{Musca domestica Linn.). 



Perhaps this is the best known of all insects, and few 

 persons are not familiar with their actions. House-flies are, 

 hoTvever, more familiar w^ith us than w^e are with them, 

 judging from the general ignorance in regard to their life- 

 history. As most persons know so very little about this 

 common insect, the following article of the writer is reprinted 

 from the Annual Report of the Minnesota State Horticul- 

 tural Society for 1895: 



"Your active secretary gave me a rather peculiar text for 

 a paper. I do not quite understand why he should have 

 selected such a theme, as he assuredly know^s that 'there are 

 no flies on' Minnesota horticulturists." Or did he, perhaps, 

 mean that they are constantly on the fly, meeting here and 

 there in our beautiful state ? But whatever w^ere his reasons, 

 I will try to give you the true history, habits, diseases and 

 other troubles of our great tormenter, the house-fly. Per- 



