The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-04
ALL ABOUT lN5ECIS.
Strangs Facts and Notions About
Things That Crawl.
From the WASHINGTON Star


From the Wasting ton Star.
According to an Asiatic fable, so a Star
reporter was informed in a recent converse
ton with a scientist at the Smithsonian In-
stitution, a scorpion, armed with pernicious
sting and filthy poison, undertook jour
ney Coming to toe bank of a wide river,
he stopped in great perplexity, unable to
cross over, yet unwilling to return. A tor
toise, seeing his situation and moved with
compassion, took him on his back as a pas
senger and was swimming toward the oppo-
site shore when he heard noise upon his
she'll as of something striking him. He
called out to know what it was, and the I'M
grateful Scorpion answered: at is only the
motion of my sting; know it cannot iniure
you, but it is a habit which cannot relin-
qulsh."
"Indeedl" replied the tortoise. "Then l
cannot do better than free so bad a creat-
ure from his evil disposition and secure the
good from his malevolence." Saying which
he dived under the water and the Scorpion
was drowned
1t is stated in the mythology of India chat
an immense spider was this 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 the
center of its work, it feels and directs the
it has pleased itself sufficiently in ordering
and contemplating It's perfection, it will
draw all the threads it has spun out again
into itself, and, when they have been alb
sorbed, everything will have vanished into
uotni1.
In the year 1909 it was discovered that
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, atfording
much finer filament than that of the silk
worm, and equally susceptible of dyeing
Stockings and gloves were made from this
material, naturally of a beautiful gray color,
ana great expectations of the usefulness of
the invention we're entertained. At the be-
ginning difficulty was found in the fact
that it would require $685. 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 soon removed by finding
that they would subsist very well upon
chopped earthwormS and the roots of
feathers, but an insurmountable obstacle
arose from their unsocial inclinations, mas
much, as when many were put together
they soon began to quarrel, the strongest
devouring the weakest, until of several hun
dred in box but three or four remained
alive after a few days Obviously it was
impossible to keep and feed each one sepa-
rately. Spiders are considered a dainty for
eating by many people.
Concerning the origin of the hedbug
there is much dispute. For a long time it
was declared that the creature was intro
duced into Europe in timber brought from
America, but this is doubtless untrue The
name bug" is Celtic word signifying a
ghost or goblin, probably because the ami
NAL is particularly the terror of the night
Hence the term "bugbear and bug"
in this sense often occurs in Shakes
peare. In Nichotson'S Journal there
Is mention OF a man who
far from disliking bedbugs, took
them under his protecting care and would
never suffer them to be disturbed until in
the end they swarmed to an incredible de-
gree, aud after his death millions were
found in his bed and chamber furniture.
Two centuries ago there was hospital at
Surat, not for human beings, but for the
lower animals, even to insects Beggars
were hired by the management OF this hu-
manitarian concern to pass nights among
fieas and bedbugs, on the express condition
OF suffering them to enjoy their feast with
out molestatlon. AT the present time the
bedbug is sometimes given by country
people in Ohio as a cure for ague.
Every one is familiar by hearsay with the
cochineal insec S, which furnish the dyer
with his most highly valued material They
are found Oh kind of fig and are secured
by shaking the trees, beneath which sheets
are spread. The cosmetic known as
''rouge" Is a preparation of cochineal
Not less widely used and for similar pur-
poses is the ''lac" insect Of India which is
likewise tree parasite. Those little animals
are employed in the manufacture of
varnishes. japanned ware, sealing wax,
beads. rings, bracelets, necklaces, water
proof bats, and many other things. Mixed
with fine sand they are made into grind
stones, and, added to lamp black dissolved
in water, they compose an ink of much
value. They are also utilized as substi-
tute 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 a way Of causing such worms to
work on paper model suspended from the
ceiling Of a room. To this model he could
give any form and dimensions he chose, and
ne was thus enabled to obtain not only
square shawls, but actually a complete
womans dress, with sleeves, though without
seams. Two larvae can weave one square
inch Of cloth, which exceeds in fineness the
lightest gauze. 1t has been worn by queens
One of the most ancient of superstitions re-
gardIng insects is to the effect that when
caterpillars threaten the crops they may be
induced 10 go away IL woman will strip
herself naked aud walk around the field
Not only was this method Of getting rid Of
such a plague practiced In Europe thou.
sands Of years ago, but it is well known,
and favorably 50, TO the North American
Indians Ole Of the most highly priced
curios.ties iE the collection Of Horace Wal