THE COMMON HOUSE-FLY. 145 
The same remedies as those mentioned against the sheep- 
tick should be applied in this case. 
Some birds, such as hawks and owls, almost always 
harbor a number of such winged parasites among their 
feathers, and taxidermists are often tormented by them 
when skinning such birds. But other birds do not escape, 
for instance the louse-fly illustrated in fig. 124 was found 
upon a pet Grossbeak. 
J. (OTHER FLIES. 
(Diptera). 
A very large number of insects belonging to the order of 
Diptera or Flies, which includesinsects that possess but two 
wings instead of four, are more or less troublesome to man 
and domesticated animals. Some simply irritate them by 
running over their bodies; others live upon the moisture 
(sweat, etc.), that is found upon the skins of their hosts; 
still others suck their blood, and some enter them bodily, 
causing sores and even death. 
THE COMMON HOUSE-FLY. 
(Musca domestica Linn.). 
Perhaps this is the best known of all insects, and few 
persons are not familiar with their actions. House-flies are, 
however, more familiar with us than we are with them, 
judging from the general ignorance in regard to their life- 
history. As most persons know so very little about this 
common insect, the following article of the writer is reprinted 
from the Annual Report of the Minnesota State Horticul- 
tural Society for 1895: 
“Your active secretary gave me a rather peculiar text for 
a paper. I do not quite understand why he should have 
selected such a theme, as he assuredly knows that ‘there are 
no flies on’ Minnesota horticulturists.’’ Or did he, perhaps, 
mean that they are constantly on the fly, meeting here and 
there in our beautifulstate? But whatever were hisreasons, 
I will try to give you the true history, habits, diseases and 
other troubles of our great tormenter, the house-fly. Per- 
