The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-12
INSECTS OF LONG AGO.
Curious Findings OF tho biologists In Lit.
tie Colorado Lake.

WASHINGTON. Oct 11.-Decidcdy the most
interesting exhibit at tho International Con.
gress Of Biologists recently finished here was
o collection Of fossil insects that is said to be
the most complete in existence. 1t seems Won.
derful that things so fragile. so minute. and so
easily destroyed as mere insects, should have
been preserved in rocks for millions upon mil
lions OF years in such perfection that tho very
hairs which fringe the wings Of certain very
small varieties are visible to-day beneath the
lenses Of tho microscope. Embedded in the
scraps OF stone which make up the collection
referred TO- ar, to DO seen the fossilized forms
OF all the principal species that fly and crawl at
tho present time. In this shape arc found
the entombcd remains OF an ancient host. so
varied in structure and so closely resembling
their descendants OF this century. that they
may be said to include practically every group
in tho range Of tho insect world as it is now
known. To the imagination. they repopulate
the past with buzztng swarms. afordng evil
dence by their variety and the surprising
numbers In which their remnants are found.
OF the fact that anciently all sorts OF bugs. OBJ
noxious and otherwise. wore vastly more plen-
tiful than now. In fact. there were numerous
kinds in tho early days Of creation which have
since vanished from tho earth.
This was SO even so late. comparatively
speaking. as few hundred thousand years
ago. during what is called tho tertiary epoch.
At that period thors was shallow lake in
little Colorado valley. near Pixies Peak. which
Is overlooked by u mountain known modolniy
as Topaz Butte: though designated by early
minors e. slim FIN streams nm Gto w WaIf han an
layers OF Volcanic sand and ash which fell into
Ing thus preserved. 50 that now goo!ogsts dig
out their fossils with pickaNo and hammer.
One little nil which was formerly an fsla ian
petrlod seluoia trees. has been found to DO
mine Of these, bugs q antiquity. ,,.,o,
and gnats in abundance. There are gnuts Of
fungi, robber flies" big and predatory. bees
ichneumon flies. and saw flies. Or butt"rflies
there few and q
protection. while catcrpillars feed on the sub.
stance Of the leafs inside and. when t ths
siKen lb BAND. Likewisc dies ressmolns the
h9 " eas tSe s There
are ground beetles. water beetles, Jun" hugs,
blister beetles. such as, blistcrs are made "ut
with long probosces. buffalo bugs that have
since become terror to houscKeepers; rnr-
rlon beetles. lady bugs, md meal worms innIs
m meai to 1oe ea 2 also eck hestcs otherwise
known as skipping Jacks" when Jump hha
backs. Dragon flies there are. too. and #
should not be forgotten 70 mnnton the T., Gf ~
flies. tho females Of which lay their eggs IN me
bark OF trees and other plants. deposting at
the same time n poison that causes an apn2r,
NAL growth Of vegetable tissue. useful to me
newly hatched young for food and to man Tor
ink and various medicines. .hoso dov.
However Of all kinds OF insects IN those uhys
tho most striking and persistent type seems
to have been the cockroach. ne Was , very
whore. though his species WAS even then Vastly
less plentiful than in earlier ages; when .l ~
may BE said to have fairly run TN pug w ,ITIinidi
Of G Mhs %%s n'G1
e. s,,,a r'.s thn excessively moist, warm climate
IN IL" w9 Wien %s tHs mos.
snyoi. nnnnh followed and giant reptiles 90 to
ngh eald the fa9h iae,F SM
I'll tbc Sth"r contemporary bugs put together.
which row rSman 70 Of
rnne which is believed by many nnthorities 70
have produced the first ir-breathlhs animal