The Opelousas courier., 1891-05-30
CREATURES THAT CRAWL.
SOME STRANGE FACTS AND NO.
TIoES ABOUT INSECTS.
Silk Made From Spiders Webs
Cochineal and Lac insects-A
Dress Woven by Worms.

Silk Made From Spiders Webs
Cochineal and Lac insects-A
Dress Woven by Worms.
In the year 1909 it was discovered
that a new and very beautiful kind of
Eilk could be made from the webs of GER
tain species of spiders. The threads
were found to be easily separated, carded
and spun, effording a much finer fila
ment than that of the silk worm and
equally susceptible of dyeing. Stock
ings and gloves were made from this ma
terial, naturally of a beautiful gray color,
and great expectations of the usefulness
of the i%nVention were entertained. At
the beginning a difficulty was found in
the fact that it would require 663, 522
spiders to furnish one pound of the
thread, and it was declared impossible to
provide so many of the creatures with
flies, their natural food. This obstacle
was Don removed by finding that they
would subsist very well upon chopped
earth worms and the roots of feathers,
but an i~psurmountable obstacle arose
from their unsocial in~clinatioGs, mas
much, as when many were put together,
they soon began to quarrel, the strongest
devouring the weakest, until of several
hundred in a box but three Or four re-
manned alive after a few days. Obviously
it was impossible TO keep and feed each
n separately. Spiders are considered
a dainty for eating by many people:
Every n is familiar by hearsay with
the cochineal insects, which furnish the
dyer with his most highly valued ma
terial. They are found on a kind of fig,
and are secured by shaking the trees, be-
meath which sheets are spread. The
cosmetic known as "rouge" is a prepare
ton of cochineal. Not less widely used
and for similar purposes is the ''lao" in
sect of India, which is likewise a tree
parasite. These little animals are en-
ployed in the manufacture Of vafnishes,
japanned ware, sealing wax, beads, rings,
bracelets, necklaces, water-p proof hats
and many other things. Mixed with
fine sand they are made into grindstones.
and, added to lampblack dissolved III
water, they compose IN ink of much
value. They are also utilized as a sub
stitute 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 the
so-called "clothes- moth" An Ingenious
Bavarian invented d way IF causing such
worms to work on a paper model sus7
pended from the ceiling of a 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, thougIwithout seams. Two
larve can weave one square inch Of cloth,
which exceeds in fineness the hghtest
gauze. It has been worn by queens.
During the prevalence of thesilk worn
mania in this country fifty years ago, tx
meet the great demand for eggs; fsl
spawn was commonly distributed, ant
the humbug was highly successful. The
first silk dresses worn, by the ladies o
ancient Rome were from the island o
Cos. They were sometimes dyed purpl
and enriched with stripes of gold. Fo
ages silk was a scarce article among thu
Romans, and SO highly priced as to b.
worth many times It's weight in gold
The Emperor Burelian, who died in thu
year lbs of the Christian era, refused hi
Empress a silk dress because it was $
expensive.
The Egyptian and the Greek emblem
for the soul was the butterfly, whichis a
only a caterpillar, but at length burstin.
Its bonds, comes out with new life and i
most beautise-e attire, thus affording
representation of the spirit Of man an
of the Immortality I'd which he aspires
It Is worth mentioning, by the way tina
within the homely caterpillar can b
found, by careful dissection, the futur
butterfly, neatly folded UP and complet
in all its parts, like the rose in its uEeS
banded bud or the plant within the seed
In the forests of Guiana some peopl
make butterfly catching their bushes;
gathering them in paper boxes and e1
porting them to collectors in Europe
The Bushmen of Africa eat the cate
pillars of BUTTERFLIES. Insects of this kinC
soon after they are transformed I'M
butterflies, commonly discharge drops
red fluid and such performances by gre
iocks of them have many times in histol
given rise to tales of bloody rain
which greatly excited the fears
the superstitious.
Bees were not originally natives OF tn
country. They were brought to Boste
first from England, and were subsequen
" carried over the Allegheny Mountain
by a hurricane. For a long time thu
were known to the Indians by the nan
Of "English flies, " and were looked upC
as the harbinger of the white ma
Longfellow, in his stSong of Hiawatha
describing the advent of the Europe;
into the new world, makes his natl
warrior say of the bee and the viii
clover: Said
ssWheresoe'er they move, before them
Swarms the singing fly, the Ammo,
Swarnls the bee, the honey-maker;
Wheresoe'er they tread, beneath them
Springs a flower unknown among us.
= Springs the white mans foot in blossom
In some countries bees are CARR
b. about with their hives in caravan d'
q 8 ing the summer season, being permit
e to gather honey from the flowers in ft
after field along their journey, so tt
they have always a supply of fresh bl
: SONS. This method is practlsed in low
Egypt, where boats laden with bee hi
~
~ thousands are ioated slowly down |