Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-04-25

grees becomes vegetable Although
this seems like an absurdity il Is in real
ity not impossible sha, such a thing may
have occurred, fog it is true that IN in
sect will sometimes. under favorable con-
ditions of heat and moisture. produce
plant Of zyptogamie kind. From GER
tain kind Of caterpillar that burrows in
the ground an edible mushroom that is
very highly prizei commonly grows 1t
often happens that the chsysai~ Of 4 bee,
or wasp, or cricket throws out stem
and changes In every respect into veg
etable, though II the root the she'll ana
external appearance Of the parent insec,
are still retained. Specimens Of these
vegetated animals are frequently brough,
from the Wes: Indies
In the Argentine Republic weeyi'
known as the diamond beetle is il
great request for brea~, pin, and other
ornaments. The palm wecsll ot;hc WsS.
Indies IS regarded in that country as y
great luxury, fric or broIyed 1t il
eaten in the larva stage, in the shape OF
a big white worm, which Is found III the
tenderest part OF the smaller paia tree
The historic poem 81 Brazil makes thc
astonishing assertion titt these worms
first become butterflies aud subsequently
mice \ similar dainty in Java Is the
larva Of beetle which, ii The shape oil
a white maggot, lives in wood and 50
eats it away that the backs of chairs and
portions af other furniture are often,
though apparently sound, actually mcr,
shells.
In sweden the church yard hee.le is
regarded rs a messenger Of pcsti,e nee ;.od
Geat and lis appearance always eAc'teS
viole::. alarm. 4 species closely allied
j eaten by Egyptian women with = vlaw
to acquiring plumpness. Another insect
regarded with superstition here is the 30
called "death watch. which by the
, ticking sound it makes eXcItcs dread
and horror OF the credulous sick person
in solitude Of the night
The poorer classes of Cuba and the
/ other West India Islands make use of
/ the brilliant fretlies native there for
| lights in their houses. Twenty or thirty
Of the insects put INTO a small wicker
cage and dampened little with water
| Will produce a very comfortable illumlna-
sion, quite sufficient TO read by. Also
fthey are worn by the ladies for orna-
ment, rs many as fifty or one hundred
! sometimes adjoining a single ball dress.
The insect IS fasteued to the costume by
pn run through its body and is only
worn so long as its lives, for it loses its
light as soon rs it dies. Perforated
gourds are commonly employed for Ian
terms filed with the fircflies, which are
aroused occasionally by shaking, So that
they shall light up their luminous disks
as brightly as possible. The people OF
Italy believe that glow worms are of a
spiritual nature, dwelling in graves, and
so they carefully avoid them.
The biggest insect OF its kind in the
world is the Hercules beetle OF South
America, which grows to be six inches
in length. 1t is said, whether truthfully
or not, that great numbers Of these
creatures are sometimes seen on the mann
,nna tree, rasping the rind 1rom the
slender branches By working around
them with their horns until they cause
the juice ,o>how This juice they drink
to intoxcation and thus fall senseless e
the ground = Washihgton Star.