The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-11

trate a persons flesh, so the men who
unload ships will tell YOU. death Is in-
evitable. and when the poison rs injected
the flesh mOrtifes almost Immediately.
These are the sort Of tropical cent?
pedes which reach these shores IN ha'
nanas. and when a workman discovers
one crawling upon him he stands per
fectly quiet and allows it 70 crawl on
without disturbing it, It is then crushed
beneath a heavy boot OF captured ana
sold las the m1n fools disposed. They
are usually .Hrmarily killed. rs the
workmcu Dr. foregoing the loss or
fifty or SOY, -- .rn cents rather than
run the chan being stung.
\ peculiar Hcoan In the shape OF
a crab also hii.s Itself in the punches OF
bananas from .'aracoa occasionally ana
makes free trip TO this country. How
these animals find their way among lie
bananas is known only 20 themselves.
but the supp0sition IS that when t1e
fruit is piled up for shipment they crawl
among the punches and stick there. In
shape there is scarcely any difference be
tween them and the ordinary crab OF
commerce. but in dress they are as e"y
as stylish woman on Easter Sunday.
Their legs. claws and eyes are haring
red and give the impression tnat t.~y
have stepped into hot water and man
aged to hop ont again without being
parboiled all over. Their bodies are
about as large as the back of a mans
hand and are perfectly black, and their
long feelers are of dark blue color.
They are known among banana handlers
as land crabs. Sometimes they are
caught and kept as curl0slties. but tl"g
are generally killed. as they live only y
short time after they have been captured
and confined.
Big cOckroaches, pure whifc IN color.
are regular travellers among punches <
bananas. They are abOnt twice the SIZE
of croton bugs, and appear 70 have I'M
dergone a bleaching process at some
stage in their existence.
a beautiful butterfly, with big body
and large wings, is also among she IN
sects often found in banana ships. IL
body is almost white, except for dei-
cate pink tint, and its wings are OF pure
white dotted with brilliant rel spots. y
superstition exists among some of IL
handlers of bananas that At On" OF tbese
butterflies lights upon person IL Is an
assurS nee of good luck.
Innumcrable varieties OF sea shells find
their way into the banana punches, many
of which are priced highly by the work
men for their leauty. IL is supposed that
they yet into the lunches when the lat'
tel are piled upon the sea shore, prepdra-
tory to being slowed away in tho holds
of the vessels.
One of he prcttiest shells which hnds
its way here in this manner is not much
longer than the middle finger of per
son s hand, and coils down symmctu.
cally from IA sharp point, like piece OF
rope, TO n base IS large around as Sill
yer half dollar Its color varies from
a dark blue 10 bright pink, tinged WIN
blue: between the creases it is shaded
from sky blue to deep Indigo color
Another shell is almost fiat, with cor
rugated edges and back, and on the IN,
side it glistens with a combination Of
pearly rainbow colors.
Rats and mice run ont Of the buDch,s
when they are being jOlted about, and
few days ago two little birds eggs were
discovered by a New York dealer
in a piece of folded leaf which ha' IN
some way become attached to a stalk.
They were white. speckled with brown
OF the thousands Of small spiders which