Litchfield enquirer., 1832-09-20
HABITS OF INsEeTs.

IN the natter ~ cy ueai WnOHy III IlA-
strumantal music; some have heard a
voice-like sound proceeding from a moth
occasionally, but their concert,-great ma
lures hum, lis produced by rubbing the
hard shells against the trunk or together,
which makes a sharp and shrill sound, thai
can be heard at considerable distance
The hum of insects on the wing can be
heard when the performer is invisible.
Death Watch. The insect called the
death watch was formerly thought to sound
an alarm Of death to some inmate of the
mansion where it was heard, though it
would have required a perpetual cholera
to have fulfilled half the number OF his pre-
fdictions. Now, il is known to proceed
from a little vood-boring insect, whose
skull is sometimes hard, and who uses it
for the purpose of a signal to others
Standing on It's hind legs, it beats regular
.ly on the board number Of timess--a pro-
cess, which, comparing its force with the
size of the insect, one would think more
likely to be fatal to itself than those~wlio
hear it.
Hessian-Ry. The history Of the Hes
sian fly, which made its appearance at the
close Of the American war, and which GER
tain aged people, believing it 10 be con-
sequence OF our separation from the Brit
ish Government, named the Revolution
fly, shows how much alarm and trouble,
ignorance of the character of little in
sect may occasion. They first appeared
in Staten Island, and spread rapidly, de-
stroying the wheat upon their way. They
passed the Delaware in clouds, and
swarmed like the flies of Egypt, in every
place where their presence was unwelcome.
The British, naturally disliking every thing
that savored of revolution, were in great
fear lest they should reach their Island,
and resolved to prevent it, it. necessary.
with oil the power Of their feet. The
privy council sat day after day; despatch
es were sent to all the foreign ministers
expresses were sent to the custom-houses
to close the ports Sir Joseph Banks. who
held such matters in special charge, las
Swift said Mr.. Flamstead was once APP
pointed by Government to lock after the
stars,-was called upon to exert himself.
with such importantly, that il such thing
were possible, he grew almost profanc on
the occasion. He shouted acrOsss tho
ocean to Dr.. Mitchell, while the doctor
stood wringing his hands upon the western
shore. When he had collected all tho in
formation which could be furnished by sci-
emtiic and practical men concerning the
bug in question, amounting TO more than
two hundred octave pages, he enlightened
Ike Government with the information that
he did not know what the creature was.
CGnker,C0,m. The cankcrworm is wa
ging war Of determination upon our fruit
trees. After passing .thea winter in the
ground, would that il were its, grave,-
the insect makes over the tree TO its heirs,
which can only, with our present knowl-
edge, be checked by means, that like cur
ing the head ache by amputation. are too
cfIectual for the end proposed. Pear or
cllards resemble the gardens ofthe French
nobleman, mentioned by Madame de Stael,
which we're planted with dead trees in orr
der to inspire contemplation not knowing
enough Of the borer to be able TO bring
him to Justice, the cultiyator can only sigh
over his more than lost labors.
Woschet0es. But for DR.. Franklin, It
would have been more common than II IS
now, and the practice is by no means OBJ
soleie, for every family to supply itself with
moschetoes by keeping large open vessels
of water near their houses, as IT tor the
special benefit Of this insect, whose bark
and bite are equally undesirable. The
moscheto lays its eggs upon the water,
where they are Matched into grubs, which
float with their heads downward; when
the time for their change is come, they
break through their outer covering, and
draw themselves out, standing upright, SO
that they appear like vessel, the corslet
being the boat, and the body officiating as
mast and sail. Their former sea-change
is now reversed for, should their naval
establishment ovcrset, they are inevitably
lost mosche,oes. As soon as their wings
are dried, they fly away TO their work OF
blood. AS six or seven generations are
born i'm a summer, and each mother can
furnish two hundred and fifty eggs. it isev-
ident that vessel Of water, properly neg
iected, will people the air of a whole neigh
borhood. But there is no end to the list
Of evils arising from ignorance on this sub
ject. Ono Of the choicest specimens OF II
we have ever heard, is that Of gardeners ~
Germany, who collect and bury grubs IN
order to destroy Them, mode OF destrac-
ton quite as fatal as that OF throwing nsn
| into the water 70 drown them
DIR. Clark tells us, that in the Crimea