The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-21
WONDERFUL INSECTS.
Some Acute ObSeTva'
tons by a Lover
Of Nature.
AN PSYCHOLOGICAL sCREED.

ture are generally attracted by her grand
eLand more striking manifestations.
The tribute Of our admiration stems
righlfuly 10 belong 10 the sublime,
rather than 10 its opposite, however
meritorious the latter NAV be. We ma
ourselves looking with more than oroi,
nary interest upon mountain heights ana
their cloudy pavilions gazing with awe
npon the fsthomless deep; or walking
With the trees of the forest, only - re-
cognize their greatness. aud the msJ'siV
in their stately presence. No wonder
then amid such loftier attractions we
find ourselves so generally regardless oil
the minor, but perhaps more occult, mys,
teries by which we are enyirOned; snd
which. little AS we may suspect 1t, exist
in endless variety about our daily walks.
Chief among these are the phenomena Oh
insect life. 1t Is Of some OF this won.
drous throng and their winning ways
that | propose to say something In as
formal way as the limits OF these aTti-
Giles will allow.
Our SUMMER experiences do.not usually
diminish the repugnance mos OF us feel
for bugs in general. We should remem-
Der the innocent, busy, honest Creatures
are not responsible for their personal pc
culiarites. Moreover, If we choose 10
irespass upon The bouudless realm where
in myriad forms they live and move
and have their being" il is our own fault,
not theirs, If we prefer to regard them
with indiffe encr, rather than 10 LOOK
aud learn. and enjoy. Many lessons OF
profit may be derived from observing the
habits of insects; questions Of high I'M
port may be suggested % the enquirer
into their plans and policies. The famii-
lar and trite examples OF The AM and The
bee afford ample warrant for this opin-
ion. But il is not our purpose TO do
more here than refer 10 few summer
observations from which both pleasure
and profit may be derived ii the visitor
to the country will but cultivate habits
Of attention in this direction.
II wss in such mood that / sauntered
away on tramp among the hills ard
over the fields one summer afternoon
Having no one to talk 10 / speculated
alone. The question under consldera-
ton was one tnat had often suggested
itself to my mind wondered whether
insects ever became intelligentIy con
scious Of the personal presence OF man
or of any other larger animal other than
by the laws necessary to their reproduc-
ton. In other WORDS asked myself are
any of them capable Of giving indubita-
bic evidence of such recognition, so as
to be observed by beholdeI We
know this TO be the case among The
higher types Of animal life The dog
and the horse become our intimate com
panions. This is the result of psyche
Logical agencies superior 20 mere physi-
cal habit or control. So close becomes
this association that mutual .sympathies
of the strongest kind spring up between
them and ourselves. Ia due time, what
on their part is described as instinct, so
strongly assumes the semblance OF hu-
mar reason, that we unwittiDgly accord
10 our brute companions much of the
personal respect We claim Tor ourselves.
True, acre are cases IN which insec,
life appears TO assume conditions not m
like these Just referred 10. Il Is vel
known that the uussntimental and rest
less flea, clad in appropriate harness, has
been trained 10 draw iniiuitesimal vehl-
eles The natural industry OF The bee
has been so turned TO account as 20 cause
the untutored Labiis Of that wonderful
creature TO assume a show Of economic
education; and even the cruel spider has
not only tor time forgotten his darker
instincts to become The intelligent com
panion Of the prisoner in his cell, but has
actually learned to express sympathetic
appreciation OF certain strains OF music.
In these cases, however, strong as they
seem TO be, We fail TO detect that higher
degree of socialism, that unmistakable
consciousness of fellowship which al
WAYS obtains between the horse and his
owner and the dog and his master. !
have not been able TO reach any conclu-
sion upon this subject, and mus, leave lis
decision to the reader, who may, II so In
clined, derive much material for thought
from certain spcculations made IN this
dir, ction by the learned and lamented
Darwin. As for myself, out Of respect
for my diminutive, but intelligent, friends
of the insect world, am satisfied TO at
tribute the apparent absence OF this So
cial instinct 10 the disparity in bulk be
tween them and their colossal rival.
Once only in my experience did ! ever
detect anything which had the appear
ance of personal recognition on the part
of an insect. Wandering through a
piece of half-ceared forest came upon
full. grown specimen OF the family OF
'manlis" or sooth-sayer, Gias praying
insect" or devils riding horse as he
lay watching for bis prey at the end OF a
twig. Several varieties Of the hideous
creature are found in Virginia. They
ere regarded with DO more than ordinary
superstition by the uniformed, whose
imaginaliOns have invested them with
all manner of diabolical attributes.
Insects, like the human race, have
many disrepuiable charac ers among
them-there are thieves, scavengers and
murderers-but this creature Affords the
only instance OF Cannibalism | am
aware of. He deyours his own offspring
when it suits his appetite Upon aD-
preaching quite near TO the specimen
before me, TO my great surprise a sudden
flash of intelligent recognition seemed
for an instant to visit his brain. Raising
his green, disgusting front, aud VITA his
fore legs extended as if in The attitude OF
pray er he turned his triangular head upon
lis long pivot neck, and gazed delibeI-
stely and inquisitiyely in tony face. !
experienced a SILVER OF superstitious hor-
- 81 Tho denonsfrafion from IN reDul siye