The times., 1899-07-02
Me,ano,estes Hobsonii.


MeIanoIestcs HObsonfi.
To the great woe Of the people OF New
York, the mysterious bug which has been
affecting residents of Washington with its
nocturnal bite has put in an appearance
in Manhattan. The Tribune" is moved,
indeed to a wall of grieved amazement
that the town should be smitten by such
a calamity. and declares that 1t was all
very well so long as the bug stayed in
New Jersey, where the country people are
used TO insects, but that it really should
not have put such an affront upon the
metropolis as to intrude upon the inhabi-
tants of that greatest city on earth during
the few hours allowed to them for rest and
meditation. AS to this, Washington can
express no decided opinion. There really
seems no reason to outsiders why New
York should be exempt from the onslaughts
Spanish squadrons or the kissing-bug. but
New York appears to think that there is
Within the last few days the bug has
been caught and identified, and facts have
been published concerning his character
istics, habits, and previous history. 1t ap-
pears that he has only lately acquired his
notorious and unbecoming habit of assault
ing the human lip, and It has brought him
into a prominence which he has not
hitherto enjoyed, but now enjoys with ap-
parent impunity. In every city in which
he tarries on, his triumphal march he
leaves two or three hundred victims In
these salient facts of his career he bears
a striking resemblance to a hero of the late
war now in some danger of being rele-
gated to oblivion; and as it is not desira-
BILE that the hero should be forgotten. or
the bug go nameless, The Times suggests
that scientific accuracy should be combined
with historical truth, and the kissing
bug be named with all due ceremony.
Melanolestes Hobsonil.
The recent advent of the Melanolestes
Hobsonii suggests. like the Western tor
nado. how small and weak thing human
endeavor is, after all. Civilization can
do much to guard against the attacks of
barbarous nature, but not everything. If
a man-eating tiger were to be let loose
in the parks of Washington, he would be
discovered almost at once and speedily run
down. If necessary, the people could be
warned to keep within doors or in the
more populous streets until the beast was
captured. The chances are against the
animals doing any damage. He would be
found and shot before he had been loose
two days, and meanwhile he could be
scared away should he attempt to attack
anyone. But against a man eating bug
there seems TO be no safeguard at all.
The bug is not afraid of fire. as the tiger
is He will venture into houses and es-
cape before his presence has been so
much as noted. Shotguns, poison, steel.
lasso, traps OF every kind are of no use
In warning with the bug He is no re-
| specter of persons. The Chief Justice of
the United States is quite as likely to
wake up SOME morning with one eye, at
least. blind to justice, and everything else,
as Jim Johnson of Goat Alley, who never
was In any court but the Police Court
| against this creature when he has once
started out for blood. His first victim in
New York is said TO have been a Tam
many man. He respects no sanctuary, and
may If he thinks OF it. visit the prayer
meeting and nibble at the nose of some
devout deacon, causing that feature TO
present scandalous appearance next
morning. The bravest soldier in our Army
would probably dodge the assaults of that
bug, If possible. Education, that panacea
for American tribuiations, would have no
effect upon him; the only education which
would reform him would be a well l-direct-
ed and annihilating slap. And yet, only
a few years ago, this insect was a harm
less and well-conducted, even beneficent,
member of society, warning only upon the
cimex lectularius-an insect which can
well be spared from the general economy
of things. In some way or other some
member of the bug police discovered that
the human body was better eating than
the diminutive game on which the tribe
had hitherto spent its time. II appears
that he communicated this knowledge tc
his brethren, and that they all started or
a career Of sanguinary delight. The worst
of 1t is that nobody knows how many there
are in the tribe, nor how far this new
habit Of theirs will spread 1t is a melan.
choly instance of a good bug gone wrong