New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-02
THE NEW BUG.

| The advent of a new bug is not often con-
| sidered a cause for congratulaton. Because,
| taken largely and genericaly, the bug. as a
| bug. has been held as a hindrance rather than
a help to Christian civilization. There were
times. to be sure. when the bug was an object
| of worship; and the accession of new bug TO
the economy of animated nature was an addi-
ton TO the pantheon that those early Egyptians
about whom HerodOtus told stories that the
yellow journals Of this period would have bought
at a thousand dollars cOlumn-wOuld have
| celebrated with great pomp Those times were,
| of course earlier. AS a rule, we do not nova
days welcome with enthusiasm and brass bands
| the arrival of a new bug. We certainly do not
do it until we assured not only that he Is
actually Il new and heretofore undiscovered bug,
but that he will drive out some previously
discovered and altogether too weknOwn bug.
Even then there is so much uncertainty about
ii that the welcome to the new bug is usually
that accorded TO our soldiers in Mexico. with
! bloody hands to hospitable graves" We ordi-
narily meet him on the frontier with squirt
guns loaded with destructive chemicals and
other dcath-dealing apparatus, and if lie con
nues The invasion we have recourse 10 the
last resort Of the patriot. an Indignation meet
ing of citizens demanding an appropriation from
The general Government under a threat Of the
overthrow of the party in power. This usually
either concludes the career Of the bug or pacifies
the section of country over which he crawls
Either result solves the problem The bug is
either cXtermnacd or becomes acclimated
naturazed and one of our own.
But we afc called upon just now to congrat
ulate our neighboring city of Philadelphia upon
no of a buv nd
heretofore unheard-of bug-on that score and no
other We do not even know whether he is a
useful and self-supporing bug or a predatory
and migratory nuisance We only know that
in the matter Of originality and newness he
holds over the bug which last week were
rather pluming ourselves upon as something Of
a phenomenon which had occurred in what
great many learned persons object to calling
"our owr midst" Last week the press Of what
we call in our self sufficient way the mctropo-
lis had occasion to remark that one of the most
swiftg going, quick footed and rapidly circulat-
ing bugs that had ever prOruded itself into
entomology had suddenly appeared in South
ST.. in this city. and was growing with great
rapidity into public notice. not to say great
popularity. Naturally enough, the great news
papers of enormous circulation in the social
clTfWS II witch lne new DUp-caIleu by way or
distinction the Bombay bug'-had made its
cntrce printed pictures Of the bug with elongat-
ed accounts Of the remarks made by the gentle
men who encountered it Unexpectedly i'm their
beer. This happened AZ n time when consid-
cradle feeling had been aroused on the part of
our sister city Philadelphia because we had
not been properly represented at a local celebra-
ton in that city Of the dedication Of statue of
General Washington. 1T was one of those times
when local pride is alert, and, if we may believe
The Philadelphia Inquirer" the citizens of
Philadelphia were unusually sensitive in all
matters that related to civic precedence or get
ting things quick and early.
II was not strange. perhaps in these condi.
tons. that our sister city. seeing how much we
made of the new bug that had come so sudden
~ into SOnthsi., should rise up with something
like enthusiasm at the advent Of an absolutely
new bug within her own precincts. On May
81 British bark brought into that town bug
new not only 10 the educated people OF the
town. bu new 10 The science Of entomology.
II IS described In the dispatch as resembling
closely The black ant except that II has wings
and gets around Ike the ordinary house fiy The
vessel which brought the new bugs in. it is said
caught them il latitude % north. Being be-