Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-02-27
TWO 5UcS OF PREY.
One Delights In the Chase OF tn. Cock
roach. the Other Catches Caterpillnrs.

bugs. common in Washington. are re-
garded with superstition. One of these
is what housekecpers are accustomed
TO call the 'earwig." 1t has 100 legs,
more or less. makes its nests in peoples
ears and il an object TO attack with
slipper at every opportunity. AS a
matter Of fact, this creature is not an
earwig mt all. An carwig is an insect.
while the bug with MANY legs. so COM
mon here. is "myriapod." The diff
ferences distinguishing the two are too
technical To be worth defining in de-
tail. but one Of them is that true
insect does not have more than six
legs. whereas some of the myriapods
have more than 200. This particular
myriapod has fifteen pairs of legs.
The earwig properly so called, is
rare in this country, though plentiful
in England, where it inhabits gardens
chiefly, though sometimes it is lured
into houses by lights. 1t is about an
inch in length, and its rear is furnished
with "A pair of long forceps that may
pinch little. Most remarkable among
the traits Of the earwi@ is the way it
has of broodirg over its young after
they are hatched from the eggs. 1t is
one OF the very few insects that take
care of their progeny after they
have come into the world. The ear
wig does not make nests in peoples
ears. Notwithstanding the popular no
ton to that effect. and it is more close
ly related to the grasShopper than to
anything else.
Whereas the earwig is an outdoor
animal, nocturnal in its habits. the
In L.t
name finds houses its most convenient
habitat. Instead of destroying it
housekeepers ought to encourage it,
because it is deadly enemy to flies
and most particularly to cockroaches.
1t is a predatory creature, aud feeds
upon these Objectionable insects. The
manner in which it attacks and de-
YOURS its prey is most interesting. 1t
will approach n cockroach quietly, and,
leaping upon it. will embrace it with
its legs, passing its victim toward its
head from one pair of legs to another
until it gets it within reach of its Jaws
Then it bites into the body of the cock
roach and devours the soft parts, throw
ing away the outer shell when the lat
ter is emptied.
Very often this "cermatia forceps''-
for such is its scientific name, and it
has no satisfactory popular one-sees
second cockroach while it is devouring
the first one. With its prey in its
mouth il leaps upon cockroach numbe
two, grasping the latter between Its
legs until it has finished cockroach
number one. Having polished off
cockroach number one, it passes up
cockroach number two 10 its jaws and
proceeds as before.
This myriapod-the term signifies
Thousand footed'-is generally inn
agined to have Il poisonous bite. but
entomologsts do not believe that it
ever attacks human beings. 1t is most
cleanly in it's habits. spending its entire
leisure making its toilet; its preference
is for damp houses. probably not be-
cause it prefers dampness itself.but be-
cause the flies and cockroaches it preys
upon frequent such localities. If YOU
touch one it falls to pieces, shedding
its legs in reckless fashion.
The other bug referred to is found
cut of doors most plentifullv in Wash
ington. and is popularity known as the
'-rearhorse." Probably there is no in
sect in the world about which so many
superstitions are entertained. 1t is
commonly called in other parts of the
world the ''mantis." the 'praving
mantis," the "sooth-sayer," and by
many other names. 1t is the most
formidable enemy of the caterpillar
that commits such depredations upon
Washington trees, and is therefore to
be regarded with Il decided prejudice
IN its favor. If you will look carefully
IN the winter time you will find upon
the bare twigs and branches little
elongated clusters of rearhorse eggs.
though the creature is not so easy to
discover in the summer time, because
Of the way it has of mimicking in color
and appearance otherwise whatever it
rests upon. 1t has first cousin known
as the walking stick" which is so like
a twig in appearance, with joints and
shoots corresponding. that YOU would
never imagine it To be ANYTHING else
unless you took it in your hand. The
maDtis grows TO be nearly three inches
long and from its eggs are frequently
hatched ont not its own young, but
other insects, which bore into the eggs
after they are laid and subsequently, (
come out Of them in the shape OF lies I
1t iSa very remarkable thing to OBJ
serve a manlis in the act of approach I
ing caterpillar or other insect that it
wishes to devour. 1t walks stealthily .
towards its intended prev, lifting Que
leg after the other ever So slowly until .
1t is fairly upon the object. which it
seizes with its powerful forclegs and
proceeds to devour. Frequently the
mantis flies about toward sunset. 1t
does not bite human beings, though it
may pinch 4 little. The mantis-its
name is Greek for ''soothsayer
this name from the fact that for ages
past it has been thought to foreiel
events. 1t is called the praying
mantis' because. while making for
victims, it holds its forelegs in the air
in very much the attitude assumed bv
person in prayer. On account of the
resemblance of this attitude to the one
they themselves assume in supplicating
the Deity Mohammcdans reverence
the inepct pnrliculariv I'bn su,ors,;