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Otago Witness, Issue 4048, 13 October 1931, Page 71

An interesting anecdote concerning the introduction of the common house-fly into South Canterbury- was related by Air C. Howard Tripp to members of the Timaru Rotary’ Club (says an exchange). On hearing that the house-fly would drive out the blowfly, which was one of the worst pests of the early- day’s, the speaker’s father had visited Christchurch and procured some home-flies, which he placed in a matchbox to take back to Timaru. It was a two days' journey by’ coach, and when a stop was made at Ashburton Mr Tripp releaseci the flies from the matchbox to give them a feed off some sugar, which, however, the flies did not eat, and they could not be recaptured. Tiles’- flies came to be known as “ Tripp’s flics.”