Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-05-29
FACTS ABOUT INSECTS.
CURIOUS THINGS CONCERNING
COMMONEST BUGS"
Everything that Crawis or Files Seems to
Have More Uses than Ordinary
People Suspect--Silk from
Spiders Webs

ecu n4Jny poison, undertook Journey.
Coming to the bank OF wide river he
stopped in great perploxity. unable TO
cross. yet unwilling to return. a tor
toise, seeing his situation and moved
with compassion, took him on his
back as passenger and was swimming
toward the opposite shore when no
heard q noise upon his shell rs of
something striking him. He called
out 10 know what 1t was and the I'M
grateful scorpion answered: lit is
only the motion of my sting; know it
cannot iniure you; but it is a habit |
cannot relinquish.
Indeed" replied the tortoise.
Then | can not do better than free so
bad creature from his evil DISPOSE
ton and secure the good from his
mnlevolence. Saying which he dived
under the water and the scorpion was
drowned
1t is stated in the mythology of India
that an immense spider was the origin
of the universe and the first cause OF
all things. Drawing the material
from. its own bowels it wove the web OF
creation. Sitting in tho center of it's
work it feels and directs the motion of
every part, until ut length when, it
has pleased itself sufficiently in or
dering and contemplating its perfec-
ton, il will draw all the threads it has
soun out again into itself, and. when
they have been absorbed. everything
will have vanished into nothing.
In the year 1909 it was discovered
that a new and very beautiful kind of
silk could be made from the webs of
certain species of spiders. The threads
were found to be easily separated
carded, and spun, affording n much
finer filament than that of tho silk
worm and equally susceptible of dye
ing. Stockings and gloves were made
from this material. naturally of
beautiful gray color, and great eX-
pectations OF the usefulness of the in
vention were entertained. At the be-
ginning n difficulty was found in the
fact that it would require 663. 522
spiders TO furnish one pound OF the
thread and ii was declared impossible
to provide 70 many of the creatures
with flies, their natural food. This
obstacle was soon removed by finding
that they would subsist very we'll upon
chopped earth and the roots of
feathers; but an insurmountable
obstacle arose from their unsocial in
clinations, inasmuch as when many
we're put together they soon began to
quarrel, the strongest 6sFouring the
weakest until Of several hundred in IA
box but three or four remained alive
after a few days. Obviously it was
impossible to keep and feed each one
separately. Spiders are considered u
dainty for eating by many peoples.
Concerning the origin OF the bed
bug there is much dispute. For q
long time it was declared that the
creature was introduced into Europe
in timber brought from America, but
this Is doubtless untrue. At the pres
emit time the bedbug is sometimes
given by country people in Ohio as u
cure for ague.
Every one is familiar by hearsay
with the cochineal insects which fur
nish the dyer with his most highly
valued material. They are found on
kind OF fig. and are secured by shaking
the trees, beneath which sheets are
spread. The cosmetic known as
''rouge" is preparation OF cochineal.
Not less widely used and for similar
purposes, is the "lac" insect OF India,
which is likewise tree parasite
These little animals are employed in
the manufacture OF varnishe5,
japanned ware, sealing-wax, beads,
rings, bracelets. necklaces, water
proof hats, and many other things.
Mixed with fine sand they are made
into grindstones and, added to lamp
black dissolved in water. they com
pose an ink OF much value. They are
also used as substitute for cochineal
for dyeing.
A very curious kind of cloth has
been manufactured by using for the
purpose the worms which are the
Larvae of tho so-called "clothes. me- 9th. ="
An ingenious Bavarian invented way
of causing such worms to work on
paper model suspended from the cell
ing OF room. To this model he
could give any form and dimensions
he chose, and he was thus enabled to
obtain not only square shawls but
actually a complete woman's dress,
with sleeves, though without seams.
Two Larvae can weave one squar inch
of cloth, which exceeds in fneness
the lightest gauze. 1t has been worn
by queens.
The first silk dresses worn by the
ladies OF ancient Rome were from the
leland OF Cos. and OF them Pliny said
that while they covered woman
they at the same time revealed her
charms. In fact, they were 80 fine as
to DO transparent and were sometimes
dyed purple and enriched with stripes
of gold. For ages silk was scarce
article among the Romans and so high
ly priced as TO be worth many times
It's weight in gold. The Emperor
Aurelian, who died in the year 125 of
the Christian era, refused his empress
n silk dross because it was so expen-
sive.
Hooa ~,ora not c,.;or;noI noti,,o, -