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In order that we may better understand why it is that the house-fly is capable of so much mischief, let us consider briefly a few points in regard to its structure, its methods of feeding and its life-history. In front, between the eyes, are the three-jointed antennæ, the last joint bearing a short, feathery bristle.

You, in England, are familiar with the death of the common house-fly which is found attached to the window-pane by a coating of white mold. I have developed the spores of this mold and have produced a giant species. Observe the interesting effect of the strong light upon my orange and blue amanita fungus!" Hard beside me I heard Nayland Smith groan, Weymouth had become suddenly silent.

This is one of the most common ways in which the disease is carried, and doctors tell us that the common house-fly should be known as the "typhoid fly" so that people may know the serious danger that lurks in what was formerly considered as nothing worse than an annoying foe to clean housekeeping.

Is that not better? One familiar to the humblest of us. One we can all comprehend. One from our every-day life. One which will interest even the young. Yes. The common house-fly. On a window-sill we place a bit of fly-paper, and contiguous to it, a flower upon which the happy insect likes to feed and rest. The little fly approaches. See, he hovers between the two.

The house-fly is at all seasons, in some more than in others, and gives not a little annoyance by its pertinacity. The change at the commencement of the rainy season is delightful. The doors are thrown open, and the dry, parching wind gives place to a refreshing coolness.

Kirby believed, that if the house-fly were made equal to the horse in size, and had its muscular power increased in the same proportion, it would be able to traverse the globe with the rapidity of lightning.

"Plenty of food now," said Bendigo, as he led his companions from tree to tree, some of which were oaks, and others honeysuckles. Wherever there was a hole in the trunk it was occupied by a colony of bees. The insect which makes this honey is exactly like a common house-fly in appearance, the combs being generally small and the wax quite black.

The points of disagreement are many, and such as to make it entirely improbable that this fly is the true tsetse, though my men unanimously stated that its bite was fatal to horses as well as to donkeys. A descriptive abstract of the tsetse would read thus: "Not much larger than a common house-fly, nearly of the same brown colour as the honey-bee. After-part of the body has yellow bars across it.

Train your pupils to be observers, and have them provided with the specimens about which you speak. If you can find nothing better, take a house-fly or a cricket, and let each hold a specimen and examine it as you talk. In 1847 I gave an address at Newton, Massachusetts, before a Teachers' Institute conducted by Horace Mann. My subject was grasshoppers.

"That little man is like a schoolfellow of mine called Niskubin," says Styopa. "Turn over. . . . 'The proboscis of the common house-fly seen under the microscope. So that's a proboscis! I say a fly. Whatever would a bug look like under a microscope, my boy? Wouldn't it be horrid!" The old-fashioned clock in the drawing-room does not strike, but coughs ten times huskily as though it had a cold.