HOUSE FLIES 



There are several species of flies which 

 are found in houses, but only one is 

 properly called the House Fly (Musca 

 domestica). This one is a medium sized 

 grayish fly with its mouth parts spread 

 out at the tip, for sucking liquids. It 

 breeds in manure and door-yard filth, and 

 is found all over the world. On account 

 of the conformation of its mouth, it can- 

 not bite, but most people think that this 

 insect does occasionally indulge in ve- 

 nous fluid. 



Another fly which is found in houses 

 is called the stable fly and differs from 

 the House Fly in that its mouth parts 

 are formed for piercing the skin. It is 

 perhaps second in abundance to the 

 House Fly. A third species is commonly 

 called the cluster fly {Pollenia rudis) and 

 is very frequent in the houses in the 

 spring and fall. It is larger than the 

 House Fly with a dark colored, smooth 

 abdomen and a sprinkling of yellowish 

 hairs. It is not so active as the House 

 Fly and in the fall is very sluggish. The 

 fourth species is another stable fly (Cyr- 

 toneura stabulaus) and the fifth is called 

 the blue bottle fly (Calliphora erythro- 

 cephala). This fly breeds on decaying 

 animal material. The sixth species is 

 the green bottle fly (Tucilia caesar). A 

 seventh species is smaller than any so 

 far mentioned and is known as the small 



House Fly (Homalomyia canicularis) . 

 It is distinguished from the others by its 

 paler and more pointed body and by its 

 conical shape. The male is much com- 

 moner than the female and is distin- 

 guished by large pale patches at the base 

 of the abdomen. When seen on the 

 window-pane, the light shines through 

 that part of the body. There is still 

 another species, and this one is even 

 smaller, a small jet black fly, known as 

 Scenopinus fenestralis, which has become 

 abundant in late years. It breeds on the 

 dust under the carpets, having a white, 

 very slender, almost thread-like larvae. 

 , As we go farther south, the House 

 Fly becomes more numerous and more 

 troublesome. The number of generations 

 annually increases as the season becomes 

 longer, and with warm climate, the de- 

 velopment of larvae becomes more rapid. 

 The House Fly will lay its eggs freely 

 on fresh horse manure in an undisturbed 

 condition. When the manure is spread 

 out, the flies will not lay their eggs on it. 

 The three distinct larval stages are as 

 follows: Egg from deposition to hatch- 

 ing, one-third of a day ; hatching of lar- 

 va to first molt, one day ; first to second 

 molt, one day; second molt to pupation, 

 three days ; pupation to emergence of 

 the adult, five days. The life of a house 

 fly approximates ten days. 



Burton B. Reineman. 



AMONG THE HILLS 



Along the man-path on the quiet hill. 

 The sneering scar of steel lies glistening; 



But some dear glades there be, where hearts may still 

 Unto the silence of the woods be listening. 



Up to the pleasant dome of God's blue sky, 



The reek of cities rises drearily; 

 But, deep within the forest, you and I 



Rest, and the days slip by unwearily. 



— George H. Maitland. 



236 



