Evening star., 1898-10-08
TROPICAL DANGERS
insects and Snakes That Are a Men,
ace to Human Life.
LAND CRABS and SOARING BUZzARDS
In Many Instances Bad Qualities
Are Greatly Exaggerated.
SCORPIONS 5 AND SPIDERS

From The New York Evening Post.
our soldiers in Cuba have no admiration
for The big land crabs and certainly those
cre.p.n- creatures are not attractive. They
are. however. useful allies of tie buzzards,
repuI s.ve scavenEe.s that consume decdylLS
bodies which would otherwise produce dire
pesri,,uce. There is considerable difference
between these two scdv=nSers. The buz-
zard is an. absolute craven. fearful even of
its own ugly shadow. and touches nothing
that is not already decayiug; while the
crab when ravenous. seeks prey. devourins
live kittens and other helpless small things.
Al Belize British Honduras. there is all
annual swarm OF small land crabs. the
negroes then catch as many as possible
and keep them in barrels. salted, for future
CoIisun ption. The hermit crab, common in
those lands. is Objectionable for other rea-
sOns-its palatable flesh often proves poi
sonous to the misguided ones who enjoy it.
The hermit mOnOpOliZes any empty shell OF
convenient shape and uses IL as movable
cell. until his growth compels him to seek
d larger one 1t is odd 10 see a pLriwinkle
shell, several inches in diameter, steered
over the ground by one projecting crab
claw which. kept busy out of doors, grows
much bigger than the other, sheltered aid
inactive.
In hot countries, where thorough sani-
tary treasures are not taken, land crabs
and buZzards serve great purpose, and
this is so well recognized that in some
communities ii is unlawful 20 kill a carTion
biTd-a fine being imposed for the offense.
Usiy. malodorous and :irnid, this creature
can arouse only disgust and pity Decided
ly distance lends enchantment'' to the
EuzzGrd's appearance. for when soaring on
high its cirCiing flight is admirably grace
fuL But company of these scavengers
catches sight of some still form upon the
earth below Swiftly the birGs swoop
downward always Circiing, from the height
wherr they had appeared like mere srecks
Tney settle upon the leaness branches of
some dead tree. Eagerly the black eyes
sean the body they perceived from affair."
and having made sure that nothing is at
hand to dispute their right. they partly
unfold their rusty-black wings and stealth
lily light upon their banquet.
Millions of Ants.
When these black-robed undertakers re-
tire millions of ants soon swarm upon the
skeleton and clean the bones. which. in
Few days. become whitened by the strong
sunlight
Persons who have always resided in cities
imagine they could not face the many OBJ
noXious animals that dwell in wild places.
If these same individuals have a chance to
become familiar with such surroundings
they soon cease to regard them with fear
parity because experience cOnvinces them
they formerly entertained an exaggerated
Idea Of The risks to be incurred. The rattle
Sidk-'. for instance. is not half as dreadful
a. some people imagine: he is in fact
g'od-Eatu tured, and he also gives notice of
his presence Unless cornered or fearful of
attack. the rattler will attend strictly to its
own affairs. particularly If in search of A
tender bola
the-earth home to tell its adventures to its
bosom friend, the armadil1o 1t is curl
Gus fact that in some instances a rattle
snake and an armadillo occupy the same
hole.
A viper really TO be dreaded is the sac
tia utttle arrow. called by the MAYA In
dams uolpoch (evil-minded) because it at
tacks without provoeaton. Full grown,
this snake is about a yard long of one
thickness throughout and it's color is that
OF dry stick; unlucky wood gatherers
have picked up this viper by mistake
There Is no known antidote to its venom
ne uoipoch draws itself up like a maggot.
end TO end, and hurls itself at It's victim a
1eW feet distant. 1t does this as easily
from the ground as from the top of the
cabbage palm, its favorite abiding place
1t has been asserted that venomous snakes
Do not climb trees. How, then, does this
one get back home?
Even Less Desirable.
perienced traveller might prefer to take his
Chances of escape rather than be compelled
10 pass through a thicket infested with
woodticks, particularly those of the small
est kind, mere red specks that. under mi
croscppe, appear Ike miniature turtles.
The tick just buries it's head under ones
SKIN and stays there TO suck until COM
pletely bloated. and for all the rest of IT'S
HE. for the wretched insect never gets out
awe. \ few hundred ticks induce high
fever The surest way Of executing the
enemy Is 10 use hot water and brush or
10 rub the affected part With alcohol As
a preventive the Indians rub themselves
WIN tobacco juice. 1t is during the dry
season that the tick does his business The
PEDESTRIAN or rider stirs a branch beneath
which he passes, and swarms fall on him
from every twig. In a little while he fran
tcaiIy desires to scratch on .lis own skin
The many species Of flies and the most en-
terIris.ng mosquitoes are insignificant when
compared with the tick
The snake cOiled a the foot of tree to
enjoy its sisstG may remain unperceived by
the pedestrian. but If the latter happens to
lay hand upon the bark of that tree a
sHarp pain may send a thrill through his
body from head 10 foot No, indeed! the
srake has nothing 10 DO with this. An ant
Is the Offending party; the quality of its
Dile makes up for lack of quantity Forrnic
ecli Is painfully effective, momentarily.
ham
pens 10 cone in its way. Ants are partic-
UlarIy annoying as burglars that cannot be
shCt hole armies enter closed boxes CT
provisions IN the dead of night and carry
OF the food, crumb by Crumb However
the ant does not seem half so bad when
the eentipede turns up. eight inches long,
pm sh-brown- alarmingly swift and evil
eyed To feel one of these, with its hun
q "a iSgs. chasing its own tail around YOUR
I'M odt i not dmusing-except to the cent?
pede- Try to whisk It OFF. and the two long
rows of feet clutch tightly while the sharo
niIper-1av VS. iEfilct bite after bite rrodrI.-
lnS painful infiamma ton. if nothing more
In" cent!p@de lacks courtesy and is not tim
ldIy Lnobtrusive; it appears TO enjoy a
Promenade on human surfaces and becomes
unduiy excited when interfered wfth-that
Is all \ tirst-rate snimmer. this scolopen-
ora l. not easily drowned II knocked into a
bucket OF water;and to crush 1t under foot
Is difcut. because express trains are not
readily overtaken.
siow-Coach Scorpions
Altogether, after few centipede expert
eEces their victim looks with compIacency
upon the slow-coach scorpion that never
rushes as II trying to go around the earth
In eight days. Anyway. the scorpion is not
half as bad az his reputation. especially
the mother scorpion. the unfortunate being
doomed by nature to be devoured by her