The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-30
NATURAL CURIOsITIES FOUND
NEAB jackson, LA.
FISH WITHOUT MoUTH-A STRANGE AMI
FORMIDABLE INSECT.


Special Correspondents Of the New Orleans Crescent1
JACKSON, La, April rs, 1868.
have recently had exhibited TO me two natural
objects of such singular character that offer no
apology for troubling you with as good descrip-
tion OF each as | sm able to give, aud which you
are at liberty to publish if you deem the matter OF
sufficient interest to your readers.
The first of these objects was a fish, of the kind
popularity denominsted buffalo, Common TO all
the waters Of the west and southwest.) and which
was entirely destitute of mouth or other visible
aperture through which food could have been
taken into the body. The specimen was about five
inches in Notwithstanding an age of several
months-and was as plump and apparently we'll
conditioned as any Of its fellows. slight NAL.
formation Of the breast or forward part OF the
abdomen was noticeable.
The other object referred to is an insect, aud
which is in the possession of Mr.. Wm. A. Austin
one of our druggists. IL Is about the size and
mainly of the shape OF wasp, but of different
color, and more fragile 10 the forward aud more
protuberant in the after part of the body. 1t had
been so much mutilAted that could not, even by
the aid of magnifyng glass, determine the natural
position Of two long hlaments that we're judged 10
be antenne. and which TO the naked eye locked
like black hair, but under the glass had slightly
articuated appearance. The great feature OF the
insect however, was its sting, what is supposed
TO be such, and which. as the facts involved will
demonstrate, is formidable weapon TO be WELD.
ed by such an insignificant creature. IL is full
date between that of hogs bristle aud hair
from tse name or tail of a horse. The end by
which il was attached TO the body of the wearer
whether at the head or the tail is unknown) is
curved like a fsh.hook. The other extremity Is
missing, and its peculiar form of course unascer-
tanned.
The insect was secured and brought here by Mr..
George Brannan, planter residing six or seven
miles south of this place, and his statement con.
corning il (which no one here doubts the truth of
was substantially as follows:
That his little son discovered the insect on the
stem of q tree near his residence, and, boy
| like, commenced TO annoy il, when the creature
made such savage demonstrations as TO brighten
| the child who lodged around to the opposite side
of the tree in order 10 avoid it. On again ven-
turing to observe it, the insect, apparently from
rage, thrusting its long sting (f sting it was)
| into the body Of the tree, and succeeded so ef-
fectualiy that the implement could not be retract
ed, but separated at the root from the creatures
body. MIR. BIS attention being then called to it by
| the child, he thought il so curious an object
that he secured the body, Though in a mutisted
form. as before intimately and cut from the tree
chip through which the sting protruded. The
CHIP is near, or quite an inch thick and yet the
point end of the sting was left in the tree.
IL is manifest TO all who have inspected it thai
| this small and seemingly fragile creature could
have inflicted death on a man by thrust of it:
sting. No one here is entomologist enough L
| classify the object.
Sundry coDjectures touching the design and
habits of this nondescript have been hszarded
| not the least plausible of which is that it may
have been the ghost of some defunct carpet-bag
| ger, of a malevolent disposition, and which, By
metamorphosis, had been thus manifested. AM
how, it is Tor rather was creature possessed o
a capacity for mischief strangely disproportionet
TO its trivial bulk and apparent fragility oil
| structure. Think of an insect, but little if any
heavier than grain of Indian corn, thrusting it
slender shafted lance to the depth of an inch o
| more into hard green wood
| Yours, etc., F.