New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-25
TIE PNEUMATIC CATERPILLAR.
Washington letter to The Boston Transcript

washington letter TO The Boston Transcript
Pneumatic caterpillars the very latest
Never heard Of them? OF course not That ID
because they brand new idea.
They are made out Of real catcrpillars. and at
the Bureau Of Entomology one professional ex.
pert devotes a large part OF ms time 70 manu-
featuring them. This scientific Office mas charge
Of the Governments immense collection Of
American Insects, which comprises most OF the
thirty thousand named species that are known
10 inhabit the United States. The caterpihars
are prepared in the pneumatic FASHION fO
mounting az specimens
You see a pneumatic caterpillar is Dowh up
like a bicycle tire. the body contents being re-
moved previously and the result is specimen
tina; has all the appearance OF the hNlts dHln'dl
and does not decay. Yesterday the writer saw
living tobacco worm put through TINS process oy
tho expert referred tone Of those huge green
fellows nearly four inches long, when attack
The herb nicotine" when the latter j. growing
in the fields. II doesn't take many cdterpI!an
~ that kind 10 weigh a pound.
4 caterpillar is built upon sort oi tuDuias
MAN and the body contents of the specimen u
, au4stion were removed in a very simple lash
ion being squeezed out al the rear emu py TUT.
ing the creature with a lead pencil as STRIP OF
dough is rolled with a rolling pin. OF course the
inside works Of such an animal are not very
COMPLICATED Il possesses no heart, though u
does have a circulation It's lungs are little
tubes. the openings II which are TWO hoies On
either side Of each segment oi IT'S body ana is
brain H. a mere strins oI hei'e-hho'S eA'V"''''s
/ from head 10 tail 49, ,
THE body contents being removed, there Is
| nothinr left but a collapsed lag Of SKIN. Ihougn
an insect Of this sort * SO mushy. rs SKIN Is
! very tough and almost parohment-hhe' pelhg
| noseessed OF 'chitine" one OF the most enduring
| Substances in nature Accordingly. there is no
/ dificultv in manipulating II. and IN the parucu'
! lar case described the operator proceeded 10 IN
! fate il with air by means or an apparatus con-
eisling OF rubber bulb, a rupper pipe anu
| glass tube stuck in the end Of The latter
! The glass tube was drawn e. very me pom!
! 50 that .ts extremity could be readily INTRODUCES
| into the rear end Of the empty skin. Then tne
! operator pressed the rubber ball, ana TO- the
| caterpillar was as If alive again. As the skin
/ filed with air Il moved and wrisEleG as II W. n
| vital spark still animated Il, resumlhg al tne
! same rime its original shape ana dlmensionS
The effect was really astonishing.
! Now Of course, with the air pressure tah.n
away il would have collapsed AGAIN immedi,
| ately but this was not permitted. WINE sun
! inflated the pneumatic caterpillar eS'eno.u
! from the end OF the glass tube, was thrust INV
a little sheetiron oven about eight inches squAie,
beneath which was a spirit lamp and he1c 'ne.
! for five minutes or so. When withdraWn IL va
dried and hardened, so as TO keep us dis.ehae.
shane perfectly when the air was let ou' ol "
by the removal OF the glass tube. Fastened 70
wire and stuck upon piece OF cork Win '0Ns
! pin il was a pneumatic caterpillar eohpie'e ~,
! thing of beauty. counterfeitlng Ike periees;;
preserving It's natural coloraton ana p''S'
| against decay.