112 The Common House Fly. [Sess. 



Lucian, the Koman humorist and philosopher, who lived in 

 the early part of the second century and in the reign of 

 Trajan, wrote an encomium on flies. He says that ' it might 

 be reckoned among the kingdom of birds, because the beauty 

 and delicacy of its wings excel those of birds as linen and 

 wool are inferior to silk. It is covered with a fine down, 

 and, when seen in the sunshine, there is as great variety of 

 colour as in the peacock's tail or in the pigeon's neck. Its 

 eye is large and shines like horn, and its head is fastened to 

 its body by a neck and can move in every way. Several 

 shining divisions cover the belly, like plates in a coat of 

 armour. It has a small trunk that performs the office of a 

 mouth, having at the end of it a sort of tooth, and it is with 

 this that it wounds, or draws up blood or milk. Its foremost 

 pair of legs supply the want of hands ; with these he scours 

 and dresses himself and also feeds himself. Its origin is base, 

 being engendered by putrefaction ; it is at first but a worm, 

 then, by little and little, it turns to a bird, shooting out its 

 legs and wings. It is in man's company as long as it lives, 

 and freely takes of all his food, with the exception of oil, 

 because that is fatal to it. It seems to live only in the 

 light, for it rests at night, when it neither flies, nor sings, 

 nor moves.' 



Homer, the greatest of all poets, compares the most excel- 

 lent of heroes not to a lion or boar, but to the constant and 

 intrepid mind and boldness of the fly. ' Though you remove 

 and drive him away, yet he will not be gone, but hovers 

 about, seeking the means of giving his bite.' Homer is very 

 fond of flies, and mentions them frequently ; he applies to 

 them a very pretty epithet, calling them sweet and their 

 flocks, nations. ' The fly reaps the fruit of the labour of 

 others, and everywhere finds a full table. For him the goats 

 are milked, and for him as well as for man the bees make 

 honey. For him do the confectioners make their sweetmeats, 

 and he tastes them before the kings themselves, with whom 

 he feasts, marching about the table and eating with them. 

 The fable tells us that the fly was originally a very beautiful 

 but very loquacious woman, a perpetual tatler, as well as a 

 singer. She was rival to the moon in her love for Endymion, 

 and the moon, enraged with her, turned her into a fly.' 



