The fly is not the smallest of winged creatures, at
least in comparison with gnats and midges and things
still tinier. On the contrary, she is as much larger
than they as she is smaller than the bee. She is not
provided with feathers like the birds,
 Lit. “like the rest (of the ὄρνεα),” which is illogical.
Perhaps ἀετοῖς should be written. 
so as to have
some for plumage all over her body, and others to fly
with, but like grasshoppers, locusts and bees, she has
membranous wings, as much thinner’ than theirs as
Indian stuffs are more delicate and softer than Greek.
Moreover, they have the colours of a peacock in
them, if you look at her sharply when she spreads
them and flies in the sun.

 

She does not fly like
bats with a steady, oar-like movement of the wings,
or like grasshoppers with a spring, or as wasps do,
with a whizzing rush, but easily directs her course to
any quarter of the air she will. She has also this
characteristic, that her flight is not silent but musical:
the sound is not shrill like that of gnats and midges,
nor deep-toned like that of bees, nor fierce and



 

threatening like that of wasps; it is much more
melodious, just as flutes are sweeter than trumpet
and cymbals.