Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-11
A REGULAR WHAT'S 1T.

Enclosed please find specimen of an
| insect. | captured him il my stable, but
| | do not infer from this fact that he is d
I horsefy; | rather think that he is
| dragon fly or fighting editor though l
am not entirely sure which. Anyhow,
what is he good for? Please give his
technique through THE GAZETTE.
Fort Worth, Tex ID. H. MCADAMs.
We have him to hand all right, and he is
jimdandy sure enough. There were no
| flies on him so far as related TO fighting
qualities So well was he developed in
fighting peculiarities that before he would
submit to quiet editorial interview we
! were forced TO ''set EN- up to the extent
| of drop of chlorif0lm But he is not a
dragon fly neither is lie Il fighting
editor" In his fighting qualities he meant
business, which is more than can always
be said of the-well, we'd best not mention
it, being ourself member of the editorial
fraternity.
From tip of nose (if nose it Isl back TO
tip of wings. this insect what-is-it, meas
ures about three good English inches.
Wings about the color of those of an ordi-
nary horsefiy. and folding back on the horse
II
mates, this does not settle it that he is a
horsehy. Above the junction of the wings
with the body comes long and slender
waist-like unto that of variety ballet girl
but lack of evidence conyictiug him of pos
essing dancing proclipities renders it impos-
Sible for science TO settle upon him as being
one OF these Above this slender waist
comes a head like an iron founders trip
hammer. but all the attendant circumstances
go to show that he is no trip-hammer.
On either side of the trip-hammerish head
is great eye. reminding one somewhat of
the bulls eye in policeman's lantern, but
there is no positive proof to make it appear
that he has ever figured as an implement of
the police force. From points Immediately
above the eyes, reaching ont right and left,
are two long aud flexible attachments like
those extending from the mouth of cat
fish. Pointing forward from the head are
two long and sharp hooks coming together
at the points like pair of ice-tongues, but
every ice man in Fort Worth would
promptly repudiate the idea of his being a
pair of ice-tongues.
The insect we have thus been attempting
to describe is known for common as Il
''hellgrammite. Our correspondent may
have thought something like that of it
when he found it in his stable, possibly
substituting I'VE beg pardon) the words 'of
an insect for the last two Syllables as
above written. Nevertheless, hellgrammite
is the correct common name, and Corydalis
cornutus is the scientific name. 1t classes
with the water insects and seldom ventures
far away from the water unless on special
business, as one might suppose. Is not an
overly uncommon insect, but being strictly
nocturnal in its movements, and lying con-
cealed away during the day, one seldom
sees it. And this may lead to conjectures as
TO what it was doing in our CORES pondents
stable. Some may be foolish enough to con-
clude that it was there for the purpose of
stealing one of his horses, and being frus-
trated in irs efforts to pick the lock for the
purpose of getting the horse out until day
light had appeared, it made the fatal mis-
t,.ke Of lying over to resume the work in
the shades of the next night
Ahc y Jung VI tiio iSiiS ohiiiiltc passes
through its different larval stages in the |
water like the mosquito. Its larya
is large, legged and horny ami
NAL about the size of Il mans |
little finger, and as long. Boys often find |
it by turning up stones in shallow !
creeks, and this leads Us 70 the proper !
place for answering the question as to what |
it is good for: it is good for fish bait. If it |
is good for anything else we are, as yet, not |
in possession of the facts.