The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-26

been growing there as naturally as a
flower.
There you have it," said Capt. Cham
bers. IT'S plain combination of plant
life and insect life All that 1 know about
the thing is what Mr.. Mcmillan told me.
lie found it in the woods at New Site Tu-
cacas, Venezuela, about forty miles from
Porto Cabeo. The plant, he says, is a
wild wood flower, growing to a hight of a
foot. 1t bears from two to four flowers,
of a blue color, and IN shape much ike
the bowl of a clay pipe, but little larger.
As the flower expands the insect, which
Is the fruit of the plant begins to form,
and with the falling of the petals Is full
grown. It puts forth wings separates
from its parent stem and flies away; but
first It leaves a seed which falls TO the
ground and produces another plant The
full-hedged insect is somewhat bigger
than a humble bee, with gauzy wings and
bottle-blue body except near the head,
where there is a broad band OF pale yell
low What becomes Of the insect after
It flies away / do not know; nor do ! know
whether the strange combination was
alive when found. though / understand
that Mr. Mcmillan found IL growing"
A number OF gentlemen saw the sDeci-
men Yesterday, one of whom Is something
of an entomologist He was particularly
interested In 1t, and examined 1t with
great care.
1T Is a most curious phenomenon, he
said. "and extremely interesting, from a
scientific point Of view, but i can say
with assurance that the apparent combl-
nation of vegetable and animal life is
nothing more than the result OF chance or
accident. An accident, ! should guess. In
which the unfortunate insect lost Its life
IT Is so well preserved that there will be
little difficulty, with a good magnifying
.g..s. ct .a.rsfaa
and, even without that aid feel pretty
confident In saying that this II the pupa
Of a species OF cicada. allied to our dog
day harvest fly and so-called seventeen
year locust The cicada comes up out Of
the ground IN the form IN which you see
this specimen, a wingless grub covered
with a horny shell.
IL Is extremely destructive, and will eat
nearly anything I'm the line OF vegetation
that It can reach. Presently the shell
splits up the back and the full-hedged
cieada energies, spreads his eaudy wings,
and seeks the top of tree, where, cling
ing TO some branch, he beats his long,
whirring heat-tattoO.
my guess as 70 this particular specimen
Is that n preserves an insect tragedy. our
locust energies from the ground at tho
foot OF a tree upon the roots OF which
she. as a grub, has been feeding. / say
She because the male locust in his final
form Is unproylded with an appetite. Up
she comes from the ground. possessed
OF a powerful hunger. Near her mods
this blue flower on It's supple stem. The
stem bends and sways under the weight
as she climbs. but she keeps on until pres
emily she Is ensconced IN the soft calix.
eating away at It's heart. Now comes
the flowers revenge. From the lacerated
stem exudes a sticky sap. Before the
voracious invader knows II she II bemir-
ed. Struggle as she will she can get
no foothoid 20 pull away from her VIC
tim, now become her executioner. The
plant sways and trembles under her strug-
giles: then becomes still. Presently the
petals drop away. and where the blue low
or bloomed II disclosed the skeleton OF
the destroyer"
How do you account for the common.
ness OF the combination " Il Is an acct
dent7" asked the captain.
"if II happened half a dozen times in
many years that would be enough 20 set
the legend going among the ignorant ma
lives. However, my theory may be wrOnc
IN part though I cling 10 Il IN the main
points. II may be that the locust climbs
into the cailx. which then shuts up on Il
ana holds u captive. Ia that way. possi-
bly,. the slothfui insect might slowly eat
along until the petals dropped. IN the
meantime splitting ~ shell and develop