Fly (animal)

“ On perceiving a fly sitting, he suddenly darts out something from his mouth, perhaps his tongue, very loathsome to behold, and almost like a bird-bolt, with which he catches and eats the flies with such speed, even in the twinkling of an eye, that one can hardly discern the action. ”

“ Even in its death the fly renders a most substantial service. It forms the food of innumerable song-birds, which, apart from the fly, would never be found in our land at all. How dull and lifeless would the months of the summer be without the swallow, the willow-warbler, and the fly-catcher. ”

“ On warm bright days without wind, during the absence of the birds, I have frequently seen a company of from half a dozen to a dozen or fifteen of the parasitical fly wheeling about in the air above the nest, hovering and gambolling together, just like house-flies in a room in summer; but always on the appearance of the birds, returning from their feeding-ground, they would instantly drop down and disappear into the nest. ”

“ Though when at rest the wings are flat upon each other, as shown in the illustration of the natural fly in Plate I., they often, when the fly falls on the water, are spread out slightly; so in the imitation it is best to put them in the position shown in the illustration of the artificial fly. ”

“ THE BOASTFUL FLY. A FLY that had lodged on a crumbling wall, seeing other flies swarming around it, began to boast about their numbers, saying:
“Look at us! Multitudes in this little space! We are everywhere—in the garden among the flowers, in the field amid the clover, in the woods darting in and out of the sunbeams that fall between the branches.”
Here a humming-bird lighted in a trumpet-vine that grew over the wall. ”

“ THE FLY, AN APPRECIATION The fly is not the smallest of winged things, on a level with gnats, midges, and still tinier creatures; it is as much larger than they as smaller than the bee. It has not feathers of the usual sort, is not fledged all over like some, nor provided with quill- feathers like other birds, but resembles locusts, grasshoppers, and bees in being gauze-winged, this sort of wing being as much more delicate than the ordinary as Indian fabrics are lighter and softer than Greek. ”

“ The form of this masked jaw is represented, but not very clearly, in Rennies' "Insect Transformations," p. 164.
[120]
TRANSFORMATION OF THE DRAGON FLY.
1. The Fly just emerging. 2. The Fly nearly free, and forming an arch. 3. The Fly liberated, and with its body bent, to hasten the drying of the wings
When its season of larva life is over, it retires to the bottom of the vessel to repose, and becomes a pupa. ”

“ These night flyers are the timid birds, and those who live in the woods, and do not like to be seen,—thrushes, wrens, vireos, and others. Birds with strong wings, who are used to flying hours every day, and bolder birds, who do not mind being seen, take their journey by daylight.
Most of them stop now and then, a day or two at a time, to feed and rest. They fly very high, and faster than our railroad trains can go. ”

“ The brown can be used in either position.”—H. Gholmon-deley-Pennell.
“Note that usually, the smallest flies are best; and note also, that the light flie does usually make most sport in a dark day; and the darkest and least flie in a bright or clear day.”—Izaak Walton.
“No description with pen or tongue can teach you how to cast a fly. ”

“ The moment the fly touches the nose they shake the head, stamp with the feet, and gallop off with the nose close to the ground, looking from side to side to see if the fly pursues and frequently smelling at the grass as if apprehensive of other flies hidden there. ”

“ Robins often catch flies in the air, flying up from the ground after them, and I have seen one dart off from the branch of a tree, capture a passing fly and return again to the same perch, for all the world like a flycatcher. ”

“ Upon approaching, the old bird flies up, circles round, and comes so near as almost to be within reach, whistling ‘pee-wit, pee-wit,’ over your head. He seems to tumble in the air as if wounded and scarcely able to fly ”

“ During the fly season I should think such an occurrence cannot be uncommon. Imagine half a dozen flies disporting themselves in a tickling walk on a man's nose, eyelids and forehead, without his being able to reach them, owing to this huge square wooden collar! ”

“ The fly serves for food for many birds, and fish and frogs, and some insects. Some of these things [Pg 68] we use for our food. Others are full of beauty, or are of use to us, each in its own way.
Thus, though the fly is often a trouble to us, we find it is not without its uses. Look at one of these little creatures through a glass that will magnify it. You will see that the poor insect has really much beauty. ”

“ The movement of many of these creatures through the water is fairly represented by the movement of the artificial fly in wet fly-fishing; and, when the shade and colour and size of the fly is the same as one of these aquatic creatures, I am sure that the fish takes it, not for a fly, but for one of them. ”

“ Between these two big eyes are three little single eyes, set in this way—
Wise men have studied the eyes of flies for many years, and do not yet know all about them.
The wings of a fly have a fine, thin, clear covering. This is held out on a tiny frame, like a net-work. The fly moves these wings very quickly. The motion of the wings helps to make the sound or buzz of the fly.
Now we come to the legs and feet of our fly. The leg is made in five joints. The foot also has five joints. The last joint of the foot has two claws and a little pad. ”

“ It is my opinion that in the summer months there is more sport to be had with flies as small as can be made, than with the general run, except late in the evening, then use a large fly—a brown, or white moth, where a large fish shows himself. ”

“ The fly is the insect of quickest flight, therefore a degree of intrigue is necessary. This is managed by running past the victim slowly, and apparently in an unconcerned manner, until the poor fly is caught unawares, and carried off by the Mellinus to its burrow. The first fly being deposited, an egg is laid. ”

“ Many of my readers are well acquainted with that fly which in the latter part of summer is seen to be so annoying to the horse, buzzing about him, and every now and then dashing itself with some degree of violence against his sides and legs. This motion, to all appearance, is without design; but a closer study of the habits of the insect will show that, far from being the effect of chance, it is one of paramount importance to the existence of the fly, as on it depends the continuation of its species. ”

“ Like most short-winged, heavy-bodied birds, they fly straight to their point, rushing violently through the air with rapidly-beating wings. It is amusing to watch a bird flying in from the sea, and attempting to alight on a ledge of rock already crowded ”

“ The insects possessing the greatest powers of flight, must, therefore, be sought among those in which the upper wings are wholly membranous; and we accordingly find them among the Neuroptera, Hymenoptera, and Lepidoptera. Every one who has paid the slightest attention to the subject, must have noticed how much more vigorous and sustained is the flight of a dragon-fly, a bee, or a butterfly, than that of a beetle, a grasshopper, or a plant-bug. The under wings are in every instance membranous, and are exclusively organs of flight. ”

“ Of Natural flies there are innumerable, and therefore it cannot be expected I can particularize all; but some of their names I shall nominate, viz. The Dun-Fly, Red-fly, May-Fly; Tawny-Fly, Moor-Fly, Shell-Fly, Flag-Fly, Vine-Fly, Cloudy or Blackish-Fly, Canker-Flies, Bear-Flies, [Pg 166] Caterpillars, and thousands more, differing according to the Soils, Rivers or Plants.
Artificial Flies, are made by the Ingenious Angler, according to Art, in shape, colour and proportion like the Natural Fly, of Fur, Wool, Silk, Feathers, &c. ”

“ The new-born fly remains for some minutes motionless upon the water, then gradually revives, and feebly shakes its wings, then moves them quicker, and attempts first to walk, then to fly. As [Pg 344] these insects are all hatched nearly at the same time, they are seen in swarms for a few hours flitting and playing upon the surface of the water; they then lay their eggs, and soon after die. ”

“ Here and there they caught flies and other insects, and carried them to the young ones, who stood with outstretched wings and flabby bills wide open. Then the old ones would fly away again, light on the branches—mostly on bean-stalks—make quick dodges, wave their tails, smack their tongues, and seize as quick as lightning a harmless passing fly. ”

“ From the shape of the wings in the butterfly or moth we can tell more or less how the insect flies. Long and narrow wings give a swift and rapid flight, broad round wings a slow and leisured flight.
The wings of insects are moved by only a few muscles, but with wonderful rapidity. It has been calculated that the common fly makes with its wings three hundred strokes per second, the bee one hundred and ninety. ”

“ Bird and fly seem to know each other wonderfully well.
Here, then, we have a parasitical insect specialized in the highest degree, yet retaining all its pristine faculties unimpaired, its love of liberty, and of associating in numbers together for sportive exercises, and well able to take care of itself during its free intervals. And probably when thrown on the world, as when nests are blown down, or the birds get killed, or change their quarters, as they often do, it is able to exist for some time without avian blood. ”

“ Towards sunset they reappear, fly about the skirts of the fields and along the woods, until, having made choice of a tree, they alight, and, as soon as each bird has chosen a situation, stand still, look about them, plume themselves, and make short sallies after flies and other insects, but without interfering with each other. ”

“ This movement through the water which is given to the artificial must be absolutely unlike any movement of the natural fly when under the surface; for in the natural fly, if it were not already drowned, the only possible movement would be that of its legs and wings, which, not being intended as a means of progression through the water, and being absolutely unsuitable for that object, would be most unlikely to enable it to do so. ”

“ They feed on the eggs and nestlings of small birds, on fruits, and also on insects. Their motions are light and elegant to an extreme degree, leaping from bough to bough with the most graceful agility; their flight, however, is laboured, and in straight lines; and though rapid, is evidently attended with much exertion; they fly with difficulty against the wind, raising the beak above the axis of the body, and propelling themselves at short intervals. ”

“ In Perlidæ, whose wings lie one over the other, the wings should be put in the position they occupy in the natural fly, instead of across each other, and the fly will appear when finished like the illustration of the imitation Yellow-Sally. ”

“ Its food is principally worms and insects, the latter of which it takes upon the wing, in the manner of a fly-catcher. The male bird is said to sing prettily, but not loudly, warbling even when on the wing, and hovering over its nest or over its partner. ”

“ The natural fly delights in hovering over the stream, and performs it with that ease and beauty, which cannot be attained with the artificial, but the former often drowns when tired of making its airy evolutions, and it is then the latter best resembles it, and as a drowned fly is the artificial one taken by the fish, no art being able to make that play upon the water like the living one. ”

“ Yet with flies and gnats the especial reason why we wave them away and brush them off is because they fly at us most impudently and importunately. It is this, indeed, that makes the wild beast shun the hunter most of all, and the bird the fowler. And, in fact, all animals avoid most those that especially lie in wait for and pursue them. ”

“ My theory, stated briefly and more explicitly, I hope, than was the case in my article in The Field, is that under circumstances in which the wet-fly behaves more as does some creature having the power of swimming through the water, it is better to imitate this creature than any natural fly on the water, which cannot in any case behave in such a manner ”

“ When mature it affords the student one of the most marvelous fields in all nature, with its nerve clusters and brain, its feet like the hoofs of a rhinoceros, a thousand hollow hairs on each footpad, the wings, which make 15,000 vibrations a second, and the eyes. There are 8,000 of these, each a perfect lens.
A fly's eyes are hard, immovable and retain their form after death. As a fly cannot turn its head it has eyes in all directions. ”

“ There are hundreds of other flies that make their appearance on the water through the summer months, which come under the angler's notice when in pursuit of his pastime, that may be imitated to advantage, the varieties of which must fill the mind with admiration. ”

“ The young flies eat the dirty stuff and get rid of it. I will tell you some day how the little things come into the world."
Write: After being set free from the honey the fly went off. He cleaned his legs and went back to the old lady. She told Rose that flies were of great use.
Questions: 1. What did Rose use to lift the fly up? 2. In what way did she use the knitting-needle? 3. What did the fly feel when he saw the knitting-needle coming? 4. What can the fly do to keep a house clean? 5. What sort of eye has the fly? 6. Tell me where flies are born? ”

“ The old swallow takes her youngsters into the air, and shows them how to catch little flies on the wing; while mother phœbe teaches hers to sit still and watch till a fly comes near, and then fly out and catch it. ”