The daily gazette., 1882-12-01
DUBIOUS INSECTS.
sonas Strange Pecuiiarities Of spiders and
Grasshoppers.

gonae Strange Pecuiiaritics Of spiders and
Grasshoppers.
New York Times.1
Prof. Bickmore gave the sixth of hie ecries
Of lectures on zoology at the American
Museum OF Natural History yesterday morn
ing. His subject wac, "Spiders aud Grass
hoppsrs." As usual, q large number Of
specimens and slides representing the life
and growth OF the snt.jecis were exhibited,
including two plates In which the actual
cast-ofr sklps OF grasshoppers aud cock
reaches were shown. The lecture revealed
q number OF peculiarities OF common insects
which are not generally known. IL was as
serted that the drsgun-ny, or knitting
needle" as 1t Is s0metimes called, is not at
oil dangerous, but is an inohensive insect,
the loug tail OF which Is but q harmless at
tschmepi that has no sting. In fact, the
dragon-hy VISA shown to be beneficial sort
of an insect, because 1T destroys gnats and
other small flies which are ordinarily
q pest to humanity. This same ny
has peculiar construction, the
lower law being q movable organ
which reaches out when the animal desires
to obtaia food, and brings It to the mandi-
bles, and when not In use for the purpose OF
capturing food, closes back over the head.
| The bead OF the dragon 1y, like that OF
other insects, seems to be mainly place for
the eyes, the brains of the hy being in the
chest instead OF In the head. The common
centipedes OF this country were shown TO BE-
harmless, as were the so-ralled earwigs. In
the clsss treated OF were included the marine
| mites, whose stomaehs are u series OF cells
attached TO their legs. Other insects were
| shown u the auditors, which have lungt
iron their boots TO their hats, /" ss the Pro
lessor explained. number Of peculiar
lugs Of the spider class were shown, where
the two anterior legs had developed into
| long aud delicate leelrrs, yet the apifnals
are able TO move about rapidly, as they
| have six legs left with which t.
walk. Several specimens OF tht
tarantula and scorpion were exhibited aud
the difference IN their method Of singing
explained. The taranIula bites, as tn
rattiesnake does, with . pair OF faDgs
which are In its jaws. The scorpioD''
rting, however, 10 an attachment In tn,
form OF a tisil hook at the end of his tail
| Among the peculiar things described wal
he way in which the spider builds ant
uses iis web. The meet Is in the centre o
The spiral web woven. and the lines radi
thug from the center TO the exterior edge
are really a telegrAphic system by whicl
Ihe spider tells when any legitimate pre-,
walks into his pArlor, 10 entangled, and 81
becomes food for the willy weaver. Tn
scorpion found on the earth In thi
rrgion, the professor explained, is
sort Of aerial lobster, a false seor
pion, whose appearance 10 much wors
than its bite, which IL not At all dangerous
A peculiar array OF insects which take O.
the color and form OF the leaves and twig
on which they live we're shown, and ez
! cited mueh curiosity. Inehe are cutnmonl
known a. leaf and stick insects, and are
subject of much comment because of the
, peculiar character. The gratGhopper Wi
treated OF at length, and the .most pcculi,
thing about 1t shown was the method
which 1t sheds its old coat aud takes on
, new one. When the grAsshopper leAv'
/ ts coat It goes out Of II backward, Or
bursting it's old shell at the back betwee
the wings, and crawling out in that wa
by the back door, 30 TO speak. The e
i easement abando ned has all the form OF Il
C animal but loses Its brilliancy Of color.