HABITS 83 



plum-purple or bluish-green, clothed with shimmering pearl-grey 

 pollen, which is more conspicuous in front ; scittellnni generally 

 more or less dull-black at the base, the distal two-thirds shining ; 

 abdomen with the first segment blackish, and the hind margins of 

 the second and third segments dull-black, the dull margin of the 

 second segment often double the depth of that of the third ; 

 shining portion of the second segment clothed with shimmering 

 pearl-grey pollen ; legs black." ■ 



This species " is widely distributed in South Africa, and 

 ranges at least as far north as British East Africa." 



Other species of this genus, very similar in size and general 

 appearance to P. cJduropyga, " are found in West Africa and 

 elsewhere in the same continent, while yet other species occur in 

 India, China and the East generally." (Austen, 1904.) 



In some parts of India M. doviestica and M. determinata, 

 commonly breed in filth trenches, but, according to Patton, 

 M. nebjdo is the common species in Madras. 



C. Indoor Jiabits. 



The species of flies found in the rooms of houses vary 

 according to the time of year (see p. 17). Some flies apparently 

 enter mainly for warmth and shelter, others are attracted by 

 food, others seem to enter by accident, and some, which hibernate 

 in houses, no doubt come in for the sake of shelter from the 

 winter's cold. The bright and sunny rooms are usually the 

 most attractive to all kinds of flies. 



The lesser house-fly, F. canicnlaris, is most common in the 

 earlier part of summer. It does not seem to be much attracted 

 to food. Later, common house-flies {M. domesticd) enter in 

 greater numbers and apparently cause the lesser house-flies to 

 retreat from the kitchens and dining-rooms to the bed-rooms. 



The house-fly is a great feeder ; it explores every part of the 

 room, and to judge from the industrious way in which it travels 

 over every article of furniture, constantly stopping to dab down 

 its proboscis, it appears to extract some sort of nutriment from 

 almost every household object. The vexatious persistency with 

 which it repeatedly settles on any exposed skin surface, especially 



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