878 



Popular Science Monthly 



Why a Featherduster Is Like a Fly 



ANYBODY can see a feather duster 

 in the hands of the housekeeper, 

 but it takes a microscopist to discover 

 that the fly uses a similar duster in the 

 characteristic and amusing performance 

 known to children as "fiddlino^." From 

 its own viewpoint the house-fly is neat 



With these featherduster - Hke legs, the fly spends 

 much of his time freeing himself from particles of dust 



and cleanly, but it cares not where it 

 scatters its dust, nor how much it in- 

 conveniences and menaces human be- 

 ings. The fly dusts its body with praise- 

 worthy industry and continuity, passing 

 one leg over the other with a peculiar 

 rolling motion, using each like a feather- 

 duster, and the leg being dusted as an- 

 other duster. 



Under the microscope, the legs, not 

 only of the house-fly but of others re- 

 lated to it, are seen to be covered with 

 hairs and bristles, which under low pow- 

 er, give the entire leg a feathery ap- 

 pearance. In some flies even the termi- 



nal claws are hairy. The fly is evidently 

 annoyed by the dust, and much of its 

 spare time seems to be devoted to the 

 fiddling process. A microscopist who 

 wants to prepare a fly for microscopical 

 study usually allows it to develop under 

 a bell glass, or in some other condition 

 in which the dust cannot soil the speci- 

 m e n. The accompanying 

 illustration of a fly's fiddling 

 legs show, even under the 

 highest power of the micro- 

 scope, not the slightest par- 

 ticle of dust, because the fly 

 was prepared immediately 

 after such transformation. 

 The purpose of the picture 

 is to display the feathery 

 legs in their fiddling posi- 

 tion, free from dust. The 

 freedom from dust is, in 

 this instance, due to the skill 

 and ingenuity of the micro- 

 scopist, not to the diligence 

 of the fly. 



The moral of the picture : 

 A feather duster in the 

 hands of a diligent house- 

 maid can spread more dis- 

 ease germs than a hundred 

 flies with their microscopic 

 feather dusters, and the 

 mechanism is the same. 

 Campaigns against the fly 

 should include the duster- 

 wielding housewife. Pla- 

 cards should be exhibited with 

 pictures of a fly and a house- 

 wife and with this legend: 

 "These two animals spread 

 disease with their feather- 

 dusters." 



Paraffin Protects the Labels of 

 Chemical Bottles 



IF tlie amateur chemist will paint a 

 thin coating of parafiin over the la- 

 l)els of his reagent bottles with a fine 

 brush he will be saved much time and 

 bother in replacing labels. The paraffin 

 will prevent any drops of reagent from 

 attacking and badly discoloring the la- 

 bels. Most reagents do not act on paraf- 

 fin. The paraffin coating should extend 

 about one-quarter of an inch beyond the 

 edges of the label. 



