The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-11-26
FLIES IMPRISONED IN AMBER.
Though Thousands of Years old. TIN c
Insects Are We'll Preserved.

4 valuable collection of amber is be-
inr exhibited in London which is at
tracing much attention from both nat
uralists and the public. Most people
know that amber. away in the dim ages,
was gum OF the most trans parent and
liquid kind which oozed from the pines
growing in countries near 10 what is
the Baltic sea OF our day. The trees
dccaycd and mingled with the soil, but
the resin was stored up by nature and
when. as the centuries rolled on. the
earth began gradually TO sink and the
sea washed over what was once dry
land the wood soil was uphcaved and
the hard gum carried off by the waves,
10 be dropped to the bottom Of the
ocean. There the action Of the wa.sr
in the course Of further ages slowly
converted the Jumps Of resin into the
fossil. which the ocen currents have
since disturbed ard often cast back
on the coasts 1t was in oc.ing from
the pine trees that the liquid resin
caught up in its course insects and
other things which have been wonder
fully preserved. Ants and spiders,
lichens and leaves. flowers and fruit
of species and kinds unknown TO
recorded history are to be examined
with as much facility as il they stood
on an object glass, and of such deli
cate consistency was evidently this
tricklnC gum that the winged insects
have been imprisoned without the
slightest damage TO their fragile forms.
The finest specimen in the London
collections contains a fly, very much
like the species which to-day is COM
mon the world over. 1t seems TO be
poised in midair, the wings out
stretched in the most natural fashion.
with the light playing on their gauzy
texture and showing them in ever
I changing hues. The legs are long and
the fine hairs covering them are plain
ly disccrnible; even the eyes are pre-
( served. There are some ten insects in
another piece Of amber about an inch
square. Including couple Of spiders
I and an insects looking very much like
mosquito. Another specimen con-
;ains FIVE flies. and. while il is evident,
\ from the peaceful attitude OF four Of
4 tltIl, that ilt bNtlN utlillA4E lAONtS4
was Immediately effectual. one appears
TO have given last kick and that death
struggle OF an honest insect many thou
sands Of years ago is plainly recorded
to-day in the disturbed appearance OF
the foss;led gum. Another small block
holds spider Of quite ferocious aspect
and his eager attitude would almost
suggest that he was already on the
track of a victim when death over
whelmed him instead. Imprisoned in
yet another piece Is spider which ap-
pears to have died in the act Of carry.
ing TO n safe place its white sack OF
eggs Feathers Of birds. the wood OF
extinct trees, the hairs Of mammalia
lizards and scorpions arc also found
in amber. and so fine and thin must
have been the gum in its original state
that in flowing i. took casts Of most
beautiful and microscopic forms and OF
plants and leaves of trees long since
passed away.
In cutting the amber containing in.
sects the great object is to clear away
the stone so as 10 leave the imprisoned
specimens as near the surface as posi-.
bic. Much care and skill is required ir
the task, for IL the cut Is made too deer
and the air reaches the insects il inn
medately disappears in minute par
ticles OF dust.-Plttsburgh Dispatch.