The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-01-09
sTowAwAYs on FRUIT SHIPS.
Where Naturalists May Find specimens
OF Tropical Insects.

New York lines.
Throughout the year. but particularly at
this season, when the city is dependent
upon the tropics for its fruit supply, al
most every steamer entering this port
brings o number OF many-footed stow
Always The steamers which bring the
most of these stowaways are those that
come from the West Indies and Central
America. loaded with bananas, and q
naturalist will always be rewarded by q
visit to any of the piers where these YES
sells unload. As bunch after bunch of ba-
nanas is handed out from the hold to be
packed away in large open vans, lizard
often drops out and can be easily captured.
These are of every color. many of them
very beautiful, and all perfectly harmless.
Sometimes a small tropical moth hutters
out, and a careful observer will find many
sorts Of ants. from great black fellows that
have . savage bite to the tiniest of the
species.
Very unwelcome visitors are centipedes
and scorpions that frequently find shelter
in the large green punches. and many of
the men who handle the fruit have been
stung by these noxious insects. The sting
of the scorpion seems instantly to par
alyze the limb struck and cause most
acute pain and much swelling. The cent?
pede. whose every leg is armed with q
sting that leaves its poison behind as it
hurries over the human skin. leaves a trail
OF pain behind 1t which Is quite as acute
as that caused by the scorpion. The best
remedy for these stlngs is strong spirits of
ammonia. which should be at once rubbed
into the skin vigorously. Now and then
q small snake makes his appearance from
he frut Il al rar a ia
among the people near by. These are al
ways OF the tree variety, and are generally
harmless. but they receive no favor and
are soon battered into a jel ly. Spiders are
among the most common of these tropical
imnigr ants. and among these the hairy
Legged tarantula Is. very rightly. the most
dreaded. One that was captured recently
covered nearly as much ground as a man 8
hand. The ugly customer lived for sew
era! weeks IN confinement. IL was ted on
raw newt, but vas particularly fond of
coekroaches. The other spiders that como
on the fruit ships are harmless. and az
most all of them are beautifully marked
and are priced by naturaists.
Various species OF beetles can often be
found on these ships from the giant ele-
plant TO some not much larger than q
pins head. Among this class of insects
the naturalist will occasionally find rare
species that viii repay him Tor many
hours spent on the windy piers. Not IN
common visitors are the tree frogs, little
green-and-orown fellows that could give
Mark Twsin's jumping frog points and
then beat HIM out of sight. So nimble are
these little bstracbians that il is hard
work 10 catch them. Ii caught they
should be let loose in a greenhouse, where
they do wonderfully we'll and do much
good IN killing parasites. For It's size, the
tree frog can croak louder than any other
memoe Of his loud voiced family.
Timber isten vessels from the tropics
are always worth visit. Scorpions and
centipedes are common upOE them and