Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1897-01-23
The VIVA or the cockroach.


The wit of the Cocsroach.
No one who has ever chased a cock
roach. has tried in vain to Kill him. has
seen him poke his head out of his re
treat and vanish like flash at the first
move of his pursuer,
would expect he could learn much from
scientists about the intelligence of the
insect. Yet there is much to learn. A
writer in a French scientific journal as
serts that not only does the cockroach
come into the world with ample abil-
ity TO take care of his small self. grow
ing daily wiser as he grows older and
fattcr. but the ms Aets show unmistaA-
ably that they are possessed of the SEN
timents of pity. devotion and courage.
The scientist was experimenting
with lizard. and had collected num-
Der of reaches for the Saurlan's din
ner. He says:
I'VE had placed in the reptiles glass
prison a porcelain cupful of water; we
did not wish our guest to suffer from
thirst. Now. in their confused move
ments, it happened several times that
one of the cockroaches rested on the
edge of the cup. and, in his haste, lost
his balance. We saw him tumble into
the water, almost always on his back.
The poor insect then presented Ia
inevitable spectacle; stretched out in
the water on his back. terrified by the
thought that tha lizard was so near
him, he waved his six legs In the air
despairingly. This accident happened
at least four or five times. And each
time. without exception. some of the
other eockroaches interrupted their
flight. went to the edge of the cup TO
aid their companion; forgetting their
own danger. they actually succeeded
in saving him. aiding each other In
reaching their unfortunate brother.
and always showing the same agita-
tom
The usual way for seeds 10 be car
ried is by the wind. Sometimes they
are so small and light as to be easily
waited by the breezes. This Is the
case with the seeds of the moccasin
flowers and meadow plnks, and the
other beautiful flowers Of our woods
ard hogs called orchids. And the tiny
bodies, like atoms of dust, called
spores" that answer to seed In ferns
and blossoms and toadstools, are borne
away by the lightest breath of air.
But most seeds are too heavy for this.
So they are oft-times provided with
thin, broad wings that carry them be.
fore the wind as sail carries a boat.
The pairs OF keys" that hang In clus-
tiers from the maple trees In spring are
such winged fruits When ripe, they
float slowly to the ground. or. If high
I wind is blowing, they are carried far
/ Their from the tree. The ash has Thick
/ lunches Of winged fruits much Ike
I these. but single. The elm has a thin.
/ papery border al arcuud It's srla.i
/ seeds. which makes them quite con-
4 snicuous as they hang upon the
/ branchlets before the leaves have
come ont.
Numbers of plants have about the
seeds delicate hairs or bristles that
take the place Of wings. A dandeli0H
clock" or head OF thistle-down Is 4
bunch of seeds, each with q circle Of
fine bristles on the summit. When the
seeds are ripe along comes breeze.
and. puff away 20 the seeds. hanging
from their tufts Of bristles. as the has
ket hangs from balloon. The punches
Of long, silky hairs that come from the
bursting pod of milkweed. and fill the
air around have each their precious
cargo. in the shape Of small brown
seed. The seeds that ripen in heads on
the clematis. after the handsome prr-
pie fower-leavcs have fallen, have
long, feathered tails. like slender bird
plumes. that do the same work that Ia
given TO the silk Of the milkweed. The
cotton around the seeds Of the will.
lows mt the river side, and Of the pop
lars along city streets, serves the same
useful purpose. Cotton itself Is only
bunch of fine white hair around the
seed. Ages before men thought Of
spinning it and weaving 1t into cloth.
1t was making itself useful to the cot.
ton plant by helping to scatter It's seed.
How Plants spread by Thomas
Fl. Kearney, Jr., in November st. Mich.
olas.