The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-07-10

Wood, points out that beautiful and elab-
crate as these instruments are, they are
but the sheaths Of still finer and more
delicate pair of saws These secondary
saws have only few teeth on the edge,
and these near the point; whereas the
sides are furnished with number Of razor
sharp blades, set on their edges, slightly
overlapping each other and dirested back
wards. In Natures Teachings" there
is a notice Of several large beetles. called
sawyer beetles, which actually answer the
purpose of circular saws. Selling a
branch with their deeply toothed jaws
they fly around and around it until 1t Ia
sawed in two. They have been known
to saw off branch much larger than an
ordinary walking stick.
No observant lover OF nature can have
failed to notice how. the buds of the horse
chestnut and other trees are coated with
a natural waterproof varnish, lacquer
| that not only protects them from injury,
but adds materially to their appearance.
| There are times while this varnish is yet
| soft and fresh when the buds and twigs
| from which it exudes may be seen swarm
ng with bees, all busy in collecting 1t for
| their own uses. Long before mankind
| had arrived at what may be called the
varnish period, when the surfaces OF fur
| niture and utensils began to receive coats
| of yiscous material, not for the purpose OF
coloring, but to make them look polished
| and brilliant. the bees were expert var
nishers.
| Among hive bees wax is used with the
utmost economy, for its collection and
elaboration is attended with SO much la
Dor that only the hive bee takes the
trouble to store it in any quantity, other
species supplying it's place with Inferior
substitutes. The partitions of wax that
separate the marvellous structure OF the
honey comb into cells-so arranged as
to combine the greatest amount of avail
/ able storeroom with the minimum of
material-are so extremely thin that the
insect finds it necessary to strengthen
their edges with accumulations Of this
bee vernish, or propolis, as it Is called.
The comb is fastened to its support, and
all crevices are filled with this material.
The propolis can be easily distinguished
from the wax by its darker color and
natural luster.
Among the insect upholsterers we
have the leaf-cutting bees. 1t is said
that French gardener. finding their
extraordinary nests in his Towering
beds, could not account for the presence
Of such skillfully contrived curios 9th
erwise than that they were placed there
by some evilly disposed magician tc
work him harm, and with this idea
showed them to his employer, who, with
some difficulty, persuaded him they were
the work of insects. In cylindrical
hole excavated in a well-beaten and
hardened pathway, several thimble
shaped cells are constructed, made O1
leaf cuttings very artificially and skill
fully worked and folded into shape, ant
inserted, the bottom of one into thu
mouth of another. When one cell il
completed and stored with rose-coloret
conserve of the honey and pollen of thu
thistle upon which is deposited single
egg, it is covered with three layers O.
leaf cuttings" so exactly similar that
as observers notice, mo compass coult
define their margin more accurately"
The miners and excavators are hes
represented by the mole cricket Lik'
the mammal after which it is named
this little creature digs extensive gal
leries. The structure of it's fore limb
and feet much resembles that Of tn
mole. The tibiae of these limbs ar
broad, fiat and of a strong, horny sub
stance, and are armed with sharp, stronl
, claws. Nothing more unlike the ordi
nary fore-legs of an insect could hay
| we'll been contrived. If the edges o
our spades were similarly armed, thei
efficiency would be undoubtedly increas
, ed. The whole structure Of the insec
is in all parts adapted to the work it ha
to perform. The breast is defended b.
! a cuirass of strong horn backed by dou
BILE layers of tough gristle, in front o
which are firmly jointed the shoulder
} blades, to prevent the insect from bein
wounded by the powerful impact Q
earth and sand in digging
Passing over, for want of space, man
most interesting branches of industr
practiced by insects, we close appropri
ately with the sections, or grave-diggers
, | whose craft is the last that can be use
! for the benefit of their fellows. Thes
insects, however, do not confine their OF
l fees to other insects, for if they find tn
dead body of any small animal or birl
several unite in their efforts, get be
meath it, and dig with great energy
showing aside with their hind legs tn
earth they excavate, without pausin
. until the body gradually sinks belo,
I the level of the surrounding earth. Whe
!. it has sunken low enough to serve thel
) purpose, having first deposited the
eggs in the body, they throw over it tn
!, earth they have excavated, carefully le,
! cling and smoothing the ground abov
Q the grave.
In conclusion it may be said that til
. habits and life of American insects a
:. ford an immense and fruitful field to tn
. Investigator. With no more expensiy
:, appliances than magnifying glass an
cheap pocket microscope, but wit
! eyes to see, patience to investigate, an
: brains to be interested in and compr,
i. bend what is seen and investigated, an
. one who has sufficient leisure and 10,
for nature may make discoveries thu
, will cause his name to be know
q throughout the civilized world. Indee
1 doubt if there exists more promisir
O field for scientific investigation than til
r open-air study of American insects
. j. CARTER BEARD.
: THE SCIENTIFIC SPIRIT
: A well-known Bohemian visited h
# friend Professor Price. at the latter
e laboratory. The professor was exami,