AT THE FRONT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16020, 11 September 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

AT THE FRONT.

," KAISER BILL" FLIES. *. WORSE THAN SHELLS. A soldier in [Prence sends the following to a friend on " Flies at the Front:''— ' On those hot days in the trenches the fly bothers the harassed Tommy more than the shells of the enemy, and instead of hymning a song of hate against the Hun, he curses the winged pest softly but fervently. The fly has been so much with us lately that my pal, Private "Hookey"- Huband, and I* have taken in studying its habits and eccentricities. We have seen them worrying a fair-sized chop, and watched them biting lumps off the battalion's beef. We have seen them scratching 'mongst the sugar like hens among Indian corn. They have voracious appe. tites, and their digestive organs are very sound, as they devour "bully" with avidity, and thrive on it. There are many varieties of them. The common or garden" fly has proved himself no coward, but, deserting the peaceful kitchen and shops at home, we find him in the firing-line by the thousand " doing his bit"— biting. This give the dugouts a homely air, and reminds the wearied sentry of happier days in the piping times of peace. There is the bluebottle or "Kaiser Bill" flyso called because nobody loves it — the "Von Tirpitz" mosquito, which frequents canals and ditches, and only leaves its watery lair when it can attack the slumbering soldier with impunity.. There are other types and varieties too numerous to mention, and there is a fortune awaiting the enterprising grocer who could set his nimble apprentices to kill them and mix judiciously with the currants. " Remedies." Many remedies have been suggested for this pest. The first is fly papers, but it is a . question whether there would be time to manufacture these in sufficient quantity, seeing that everyone is now engaged in filling shells and making munitions of war. If it was decided by the War Office to go in strongly for fly papers, that ancient and exclusive body, the Fly Paper-makers' Guild, would amass a princely fortune. The drawback to fly papers, however, s that they might attract the flies from the German trenches, besides getting entangled on our soldiers" legs when they mount the parapet. Another suggestion. has been made to call upon natural history students all over the country to rear and train a few army corps of fierce and predatory spiders for use at the front. A few picked battalions of especially bloodthirsty specimens could be assembled and designated "Uhlans." The idea has also been mooted to try and gas" them, but, although unprovided with smoke helmets or respirators, the system of this . hardy insect seems' to De impervious to the effects of chlorine. If Pharaoh were in ' our firing-line he would find life very reminiscent of Egypt during the plagues, and'sigh once more to be one of the children of Israel, on whom there were no flies. There appears . to be no remedv for them. ; What can't be cure must lie endured, and all that we "can do is to grin and mutter with " Rookev," " Strafe them bloomin' flies." *