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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 May 2009
Under the conditions of our experiments, indication was afforded that—
(1) House-flies tend to travel either against or across the wind. The actual direction followed may be determined either directly by the action of the wind, or indirectly owing to the flies being attracted by any odours it may convey from a source of food.
(2) It is likely that the chief conditions favouring the dispersal of flies are fine weather and a warm temperature. The nature of the locality is another considerable factor, as in towns flies do not travel as far as in open country, this being probably due to the food and shelter afforded by the houses.
(3) Under experimental conditions, the height at which the flies are liberated, and also the time of day, appear to influence the dispersal of the insects. As judged by one experiment, when flies are set free in the afternoon they do not scatter so well as when liberated in the morning.
(4) The maximum flight in thickly-housed localities in our experiments was about a quarter of a mile; but in one case a single fly was recovered at a distance of 770 yards. It should be noted, however, that part of this distance was across open fen-land.