
44 KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

INSECT LIFE. 
FLIES. 
The larve of Flies, of which there are 
many different species, feed upon almost every 
kind of decaying substance, both animal and 
vegetable. Some devour the flesh of dead 
animals, whose putrefaction they accelerate ; 
others live in excrements, dunghills, and 
unctuous earth; some species eat cheese ; 
some others inhabit the bodies of caterpillars 
and different larve, which they gnaw and 
consume. Among those which feed on 
vegetable substances, some live in leaves, 
which they sap internally; others live in 
galls, mushrooms, seeds of plants, and fruits. 
The use of the carnivorous larve of this 
tribe of insects, appears to be to consume the 
carcases of animals, and so prevent the pes- 
tilential efluvium which would otherwise arise 
from them. From their numbers, they are 
capable of consuming a carcase Im a very 
short time. ‘Those which live on excrements 
seem to be born for the purpose of clearing 
the earth from aggregations of filth, which 
might otherwise prove deleterious. 
THE CHEESE-FLY. 
This fly is so called from the fact of its 
depositing its eggs in the cracks and crevices 
of cheese. From these eggs are produced 
caterpillars, or maggots, whose external form 
presents nothing very remarkable ; yet they 
are able to leap in a most surprising manner 
—sometimes to the height of more than six 
inches. ‘These leaps are the more astonish- 
ing, when we consider the minuteness of 
the animal, and that it is entirely destitute of 
legs. 
To discover how this manceuvre is per- 
formed, we must attentively watch a larva 
which is preparing for a leap. We shall 
observe it rise upright on its posterior part, 
and maintain itself in this position by means 
of some tubercles which are situated on the 
last ring of its body. Subsequently it bends 
itself, forms a sort of circle, by bringing its 
head towards its tail; sinks the two hooks 
of its mouth in the two sinuosities which are 
at the skin ofthe last ring, and holds them 
firmly together. All this operation is but 
the affair of a moment. Then it contracts 
itself, and rears up so promptly, that the 
two hooks, in springing from the two sinuses 
in which they were retained, make a slight 
noise. By this quick movement the body 
strikes the ground, or the substance on which 
it may be resting, and rebounds at the same 
time to aconsiderable distance. The student 
of nature should make a point of examining 
these facts closely. They are so full of 
pleasing interest ! 
The perfect insect is furnished with an 
ovipositor, which it can thrust out to a very 


great length. Swammerdam says, “ I have 
often seen them thrust out their tails to an 
amazing length, in order to deposit their eggs 
in the deep cavities. I found, in a few days 
afterwards, a number of maggots, which had 
sprung from those eggs, perfectly resembling 
those of the first brood that had produced 
the mother fly. I cannot but take notice, 
that the rottenness of cheese is really caused 
by these maggots, for they both crumble the 
substance of it into small particles, and also 
moisten it with some sort of liquid, so that 
the decayed part rapidly spreads. I once 
observed a cheese, which I had purposely 
exposed to this kind of fly, grow moist in a 
short time—in those parts of it where eggs 
had been deposited, and had afterwards been 
hatched into maggots; though, before, the 
cheese was perfectly sound and entire.”’ 
After having remained for a longer ora 
shorter time in the nymph form, according 
as the season may be favorable to their 
development, these flies issue forth from 
their cocoons. To effect this, they break 
off and push out a portion with their head, 
which swells in this operation. On_ first 
coming out, their wings are folded and 
rumpled, and appear to ‘be mere stumps ; 
but they are soon developed, extend, and 
become level and smooth, as is the case with 
most other insects. 

THE THREE VOICES. 

‘* He that hath ears to hear, let him hear !” 
Morn calleth fondly to a fair boy, straying 
"Mid golden meadows, rich with clover dew ; 
She calls—but he still thinks of nought, save 
playing ; 
And so she smiles, and waves him an adieu! 
Whilst he, still merry with his flowery store, 
Deems not that Morn, sweet Morn! returns no 
more. 
Noon cometh—but the boy, to manhood growing, 
Heeds not the time—he sees but one sweet 
form, 
One young fair face, from bower of jasmine glow- 
ing, 
And all his loving heart with bliss is warm. 
So Noon, unnotic’d seeks the western shore, 
And man forgets that Noon returns no more ! 
Night tappeth gently at a casement gleaming 
With the thin fire-light, flick’ring faint and 
low, 
By which a grey-hair’d man is sadly dreaming 
O’er pleasures gone, as all life’s pleasures go. 
Night calls him to her, and he leaves his door, 
Silent and dark,—and he returns no more! 


STRIFE. 

Wuen worthy men fall out, only one of them 
may be faulty at first; but if strife continue long, 
commonly both become guilty.— FULLER. 


