The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1878-05-25
The Little Folks Column.
"DoOslle Bugs"

NCdAi) thCA OhiAeo AihOo hh"oiS
snakes have danced to it, mice
have come from their holes and
listened with rapt attention, and
even bugs are not insensible.
"We call the Doodle Bugs up any
time we have a mind" said some
little girls to me one day when L
was teaching school
Doodle Bugs?" said l, 81 mover
heard of such things"
"Would you like to see them ?"
asked one.
Most assuredly," 1 answered.
Then the little girl led me forth
to the ruins of an old log school
house, roofess and hoorless, and,
joining hands, they squatted apon
the ground, forming ring, and be-
gan chanting i'll the most musical
tones they could command
"Uncle Doodle, Uncle Doodle,
Uncle Do-o-o-dle Bugs
1 looked on III astonishment, for
l could see nothing but dry parched
earth. There seemed not living
thing visible; but the children kept
up their chant some three or four
minutes, when | noticed the ground
began to heave in little spots and
tiny heads peeped out, soon fol-
lowed by half or the whole body of
IA dirt collored beetle.
I When the children stopped their
singing the little things scampered
back into their holes.
This struck me AS very singular.
But thsn we are constantly meet
ing with strange things in lug
dom. 1t is like fairyland if we
only become interested. There
are many kinds Of beetles called
coteopterous insects, becasuse they
have wing cases; that is, they have
shells or cases on their backs, I'M
der which they fold their wings,
some kinds using them 50 very sell
dom that we would never know
that they had wings. 4 very great
many live under ground, and 9TH
ers on the trees, flowers and grain.
Indeed, there Is scarce plant on
which you may not find them.
All of you know that the ugly
caterpillar becomes a butterfly, but
some of you may not know that
nearly every worm yon can find
turns out some day 10 be crea-
tare with wings.
Almost every child who has lived
III the country has noticed and
perhaps been very much amused
with the Bill CHATTER, or Tumble
Bug, as we cali it in New Jersey.
How they seem to be playing with
marbles right III the middle of the
road on hot, dusty days! How
they push and tumble, and get
their jackets all dusty in their ef-
forts! Sometimes it takes two or
three beetles to roll their bali up
an elevation OF over some inpedi.
ment III the way.
Did you never wonder what all
such work meant, or did you sup.
pose it was Just way those bngs
have of amusing themselves? /
can remember when | thought go
myself. But after | became Older
| began to wonder where the bugs
got the balls, what they were made
Of, and what they were going to
do with them. / have since found
1t out, and 1t is all very instructive
and interesting.
They make the balls, III which
they deposit an egg, and leave them
IN the sun until baked almost as
hard as marble. Then begins
their work. They toll and strug-
gle until they get the balls three
feet under ground. Then the lit
tie one is left in its spherical home
from early September until the
next spring, US warm and coy as
you please, growing larger and
larger until it bursts from It's shell,
a little worm with six legs, and
creeps up 10 the surface of the
ground; or, as some people say,
they remain III the ball until they
become chrysaiids, and then come
! ont beetles or tumble bugs" ready
to begin tuInbling and and push
ing like their mothers before them.
q u ~ AnhnrSnn