Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-11-20
Curious Hugs which have been Preserved
In Rocks Millions Of years,

tutinhs Nuks "hiCh nave hccn Efrscrvch
an Rocks Millions of years,
DECIDEDLY the most interesting exhibit at
the international congress OF geoIagists
recently was n collection Of fossil insects
that is said 10 be the most conp 10 in
existence,
II seems wonderful that So fragile, so
minute aud So easily DESTROYED a. mere in
seCtS should have been preserved IA. rocks
Tor millions upon millions OF years in such
perfection thai the very hairs which fringe
the wings ct certain very small varieties
are visible to-day beneath the lenses of tho
microscope
lmbeded in the scraps Of stone which
make up the collection referred to are 10 be
seen the foSSiliRed forms Of all the lrinoi-
pal species that tiy and crawl ne thu pre.
sent time, In this shape are found the
eutomhed remains Of an ancient host. so
varied in structure and so closely resembl.
ing their dc pendants OF this century that
they may hc said to Include practically
every group in the range Of the insect
world rs II is now known.
To the Imagination they rcpopulatc the
past with hugaing swarms, atfording evi.
denee 10y their variety and the surprising
numbers in which their remnants are
found of the fact that anciently all sorts
of bugs, obnoxious and otherwise, we're
vastly more plentiful than now,
In fact there were numerous kinds in the
! early days of creation which have since
vanished from the earth.
This was oven SO late, comparatively
speaking, as n few hundred thousand
years ago, during what is called the ter
ttary epoch, Az that period there was
shallow lake in a little Colorado valley
near Pixies Peak, which is overlooked by
mountain known modernly as Gobas
Butte, through designated by mmcrs rs
Slim Jim.
Streams into which insects fell carried
them TO tho lake, which has since vanish
ed They were buried beneath LAYERS of
volcanic sand and ash, which fell into the
, lake from some neigahoring eruption, be.
ing thus preserved, so that now seologists
dig out their fossils with pickaxe and
| hammer.
One little HILL which was formerly an
island, bearing 10 this day the erect trunks
OF giant petrlted sequio trees, has been
! found n mine of these bugs of antiquity.
buried IN the ancient rock are mosqui.
! toes and gnRts in abundance There nro
gnats of the kind that feed upon 'oadStools
and other fungi, rubber flies" big and
predatory bees and wasps OF many Wrio.
ties, ants OF all sorts, ichneumon flies and
saw flies, OF butterflies there are a few
and Of moths any quantity, the latter be.
ng mostly OF the leaf roller" description,
which wrap Themselves up in leaves for
protection, while caterpillars feed ON the
substance OF the leafs inside, nnd whom
the provender is exhausted roll the leaf u
little more, fastening II each time neatly
with eilken hnnd, Likewise flies resem-
bling the horsCiy are discovered, and fire.
flies also.
On fossil beetles the variety is endless.
Thtre are ground beetles. water beetles,
June bugs, blister beetles, such ne htsters
are made out for sick people, seed weavils,
snout beetles, with long probosccs, buffalo
bugs that have since become u terror to
housekecpers, carrion beetle, h dy bugs
and meal worms, which feed ON decnying
vegetation for lack of meal To ent, Also
"click beetles, otherwise known M skip
ping incks,' which jump mt make a
clicking noise when laid on their backs,
Dragon flies there are, two, and il should
not I've forgotten TO mention the gall flies,
the females OF which lay their eggs in the
bark of trees and other plants, depositing
nj the same time poison that causes nm
abnormal growth OF vegetable tissue, use
full to the newly hnohed young Tor food
and TO man for ink and various medicines.
Washington STIR,