Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-05-29
FACTS ABOUT INSECTS.
CURIOUS THINGS CONCERNING
COMMONEST BUGS.
Everything that Crawis or Files Seems to
Have More Uses than Ordinary
People suspect--siik from
Spiders Webs.

and filthy poison. undertook journey.
Coming TO the bank OF wide river he
stopped in great perpleXity. unable 10
cross. yet unwilling To return. A tor
toise, seeing his situation and moved
with compassion. took HIM on his
back as q passenger and was swimming
toward the opposite shore when he
heard noise upon his shell as OF
something striking him. He called
out TO know what 1t was and the un-
grateful scorpion answered. 1t il
only the motion of my sting; | know it
cannot iniure you; but il is habit !
cannot relinquish."
Indeed" replied the tortoise.
Then 1 can not do better than free SO
bad creature from his evil DISPOSE
ton and secure the good from his
malevolence. Saying which he dived
under the water and the scorpion was
drowned.
Ii is stated in the mythology OF India
that an immense spider was the origin
of the universe and the first cause OF
all things. Drawing the material
from. its own bowels il wove the web OF
creation. Sitting in the center OF its
work it feels and directs the motion OF
every part, until Mt length when, it
has pleased itself sufficiently in or
dering and contemplating its perfec-
ton. it will draw all the threads it has
SCUM out again into itself, and. when
they have been absorbed. everything
will have vanished into nothing.
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,
cardcd. and spun, affording much
finer filament than that OF the silk
worm and equally susceptible Of dye
ing. Stockings and gloves were made
from this material naturally OF IA
beautiful gray color, and great eX-
pectations OF the usefulness Of the in
vention were entertained. AT the be-
ginning 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 soon removed by finding
that they would sub5ist very we'll upon
chopped ear;h-worms and the roots OF
feathers; but an insurmountable
obstacle arose from their unsocial in
clinations, inasmuch as when many
were put together they soon began to
quarrel. the strongest deYouring the
weakest, until of several hundred in q
box but three or four remained alive
after few days. Obviously it was
impossible to keep and feed each one
separately. Spiders are considered "a
dainty for eating by many peoples.
Concerning the origin OF the bed
bug there is much dispute. For a
long time it was declared that the
creature was introduced into Europe
in timber brought from America, but
this is doubtless untrue. At the pres
emit time the bedbug is sometimes
given by country people in Ohio as IA
cure for ague.
Every one is familiar by hearsay
with the cochincal insects which fur
nish the dyer with his most highly
valued material. They are found on "A
kind Of fig. and are secured by shaking
the trees, beneath which sheets are
! spread. The cosmetic known IA
rouge is preparation OF cochineal.
Not less widely used. and for similar
purposes, is the LAC" insect OF India
which Is likewise a tree parasite.
! These little animals are employed in
tho manufacture OF varnishes,
japanned ware sealing-wax, beads,
rings. bracelets, necklaces, water
proof hats, and many other things
Mixed with fine sand they are made
into grindstones, and, added to lamp
black dissolved in water. they COM
pose an ink of much value. They are
also used as a substitute 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 a
paper model suspended from the cell
! ing OF room. To this model he
could give any form and dimensions
he chose, and he was thus enabled to
obtain not only square shawS. but
actually complete woman's dress
with sleeves, though without seams.
Two larvae can weave one squar inch
OF cloth, which exceeds in fineness
the lightest gauzo. 1t has been worn
by queens.
The first silk dresses worn by the
ladies OF ancient Rome were from the
| island of Cos and OF them Pliny said
that while they covered woman
they ut the same time revealed her
charms" In fact, they were 70 fine as
! TO be transparent and were sometimes
dyed purple aud enriched with stripes
of gold. For ages silk was scarce
article among the Romans and so high
/ ly priced az 10 be worth many times
its weight in gold. Tho Emperor
Aurelian, who died in the year 1926 OF
\ thu Chri atian pra rDft,oaG his ay,proaa