The Journal of a Disappointed Man

April 6. The Housefly Problem--1916 For weeks past we have all been in a terrible flutter scarcely paralleled by the outbreak of Armageddon in August, 1914. The spark which fired almost the whole building was a letter to the Times written by Dr. ----, making public an ignominious confession of ignorance on the part of Entomologists as to how the Housefly passed the winter. In reply, many correspondents wrote to say they hibernated, and one man was even so temerarious as to quote to us Entomologists the exact Latin name of the Housefly: viz., Musca domestica. We asked for specimens and enormous numbers of flies at once began to arrive at the Museum, alive and dead--and not a Housefly among them! So there was a terrible howdedo. One of the correspondents was named "Masefield." "Not Masefield the poet?" an excited dipterist asked. I reassured him. "I've a good mind," said Dr. ----, "to reply to this chap who's so emphatic and give him a whigging--only he's climbing down a bit in this second letter in to-day's issue." I strongly advocated clemency. But still the affair goes on. Every morning sees more letters and more flies sent by all sorts of persons--we seem to have set the whole world searching for Houseflies--Duchesses, signalmen, farmers, footmen. Every morning each fresh batch of flies is mounted on pins by experts in the Setting Room, and an Assistant's whole time is devoted to identifying, arranging, listing and reporting upon the new arrivals. At the last meeting of the Trustees a sample collection was displayed to show indubitably that the insects which hibernate in houses are not Musca domestica but Pollenia rudis. I understand the Trustees were appreciative.