Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-03-09
sTowAwAys ON FRUIT SHIPS.
Where Naturallsts May Find Specimens
OF TrnnicaI Insects.


Throughout the year, but particular
ly at this season, when the city is de-
pendent upon the tropics for its fruit
supply, almost every steamer entering
this port brings number of many
footed stowaways. The steamers which
bring the most of these stowaways are
those that come from the West Indies
and Central America, loaded with ban
anas, and naturalist will always be
rewarded by visit to any of the piers
where these vessels unload. AS bunch
after bunch Of bananas is handed out
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 small tropical moth flut-
ters out, and 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 cent?
pedes and scorpions, that frequently
find a shelter in the large green
punches, and many OF the men who
handle the fruit have been stung
by those noxious insects. The
sting of the scorpion seems instantly
to paralyze the limb struck, and
causes most acute pain and much
swelling. The centipede, whose every
leg is armed with sting that leaves
it's poison behind as it hurries over the
human skin leaves trail of pain be-
hind it which is quite as acute as that
caused by the scorpion, The best rem
edy for these stings is strong spirits of
ammonia which should be at once
rubbed into the skin vigorously, Now
and then small snake males his APP
pearance from among the fruit and
always causes panic among the peo-
pie near by. These are Away of the
tree variety, and are generally harm
less, but they receive no favor and are
soon battered into jelly. Spiders are
among the most common of these trop-
ical immigrants, and among these the
hairy-legged tarantula is, very right
ly, the most dreaded. One that was cap
tured recently covered nearly as much
ground as a mans hand. The ugly
customer lived for several weeks in
confinement. 1t was fed on raw meat,
but was particularly fond of cock
reaches, The other spiders that come
on the fruit ships are harmless, and al
most all of them are beautifully marked
and are priced by naturalists.
Various species of beetles can be oft.
en- found on these ships, from the giant
elephant to some not much larger than
: pins head. Among this class of in
sects the naturalist will occasionally
find rare species that will repay hin
for many hours spent on the windy
piers Not uncommon visitors are the
tree-frogs, little green and brown fel
lows that could give Mark Twain''
jumping frog points and then beat hin
out of sight, So nimble are these lit
tie batrachians that it is hard work t.
catch them. If caught they should bt
let loose in greenhouse, where they
do wonderfully we'll, and do much gooC
} II killing parasites. For it's size, The
: tree-frog can croak louder than AM
t other member of the loud voiced fam
lily,
e Timber-laden vessels from the tropic
| are always worth q visit Scorpion
t and centipedes are common upon them
and generally the visitor is rewarded
e by finding many beetles, and sometime
: the chrysalis OF some tropical butterti,
or moth may be met with, which, j
4 kept in warm place, will hatch AM
e give the collector perfect specimen o
;, an insect he little dreamed of ever pos
sessing Among the wood, too ma,
often be found the nests of the mason
wasp, If these are broken open an,
t the grub is not full grown, one is sur
to find several kinds of small spider
that the mother wasp had stung int
u nsensibility and placed in the cell TO
i food for her progeny. Y. Times.