Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1899-07-12
THE KISSING BUG.
Description of the Methods and Effects OF
an Obnoxious Insect.

The kissing bug over which the
eest has been excited for some time,
has reached ST. Louis, but is yet to ap-
pear in Las Vegas.
The kissing bug is New Jersey dis
covery. This little state will do almost
anything to get itself talked about.
When its reputation for liquid 'lightn-
ing" was on the wane, it went to work
and became famous once more as the
main ranch for mosquitoes. Then when
mosquitoes began to be common, New
Jersey, by means of state laws, came
before public gaze as "tbe home of the
trusts 4 xeHftt
Now that an old state seems to be
full of trusts, New Jersey for want of
better advertising matter. has delved
into its chronological resources and
sent forth the meIanolestes picipes.
The melanolestes picipes is bug. 1t
bites. 1t is also not particular whom it
bites. Allit seems to desire is that its
subject shall have lips, and as most
people have lips, the bug has nothing
TO worry about. This idiosynoracy for
lips has gained for the bug in its east
ern homs the sobriquet of the kissing
bug"
The Emergency Hospital of WASH
ington, d. G., has been doing rushing
business in swollen lips during the last
two weeks, fact which set the grave
and learned scientists OF the Smithson-
ian Institution to thinking and bprnz
ishing up their lenses and bug glasses.
Doctor William II. Ashmead, ento-
mologist Of the National Museum. is
responsible for the assertion that the
swollen lips were caused by the kissing
bug; that the kissing bug was none
other than the melanolestes picipes; and
that the said melanolestes picipes came
out of New Jersey. He says the crop
of Jersey kissing bugs 10 the only crop
not affected by the continual cold of
last winter. On the other hand, in
deed, it is last winter which he holds
responsible for the prevalence OF the
bugs.
The unbroken cold. reasons the doc.
tor, served to keep the eggs of the in
sect from Matching out early IN the
spring, and being subsequently frozen
by the late cold snaps. The principal
food of the melanolestes is the cater
pillar, and that there may have been
caterpillars to burn this year is pointed
out by the doctor to prove that the
kissing bug was unduly late in his ar
rival. E
According to entomologists, the mel
anolestes is not far related to the vul-
gar aud more common bedoug. 1t
belongs to the species hemiptera. or
''half.wings,' and the family feeds on
other bugs when it can't find lips.
Little Johnnie Doyle of st. Louis
was bitten by one of the kissing bugs.
He was awakened 10 the night. by a
pain in his lips. He told the doctor he
thought they "were going to bust.' A
glimpse at Johnnie justified his sus-.
pieions. The doctor found without
much trouble, that Johnnie's neither lip |
contained a small puncture. A white |
circle surrounded the bole, but the in |
side of the lip was rich, royal purple.
The upper lip was also discolored, and !
though not as deeply as the lower. was
quite as purple. It hurt Johnnie to
talk, and as for eating, he mournfulIy |
declared he never expected to part his |
lips again. The doctor prescribed 9
wash, the principal Ingredient of which l
was witch hazel. ~
The young ladies of Las Vegas want |
to beware of the kissing bug. It's all |
right to be kissed by-well. you know |
who; but that's different from q nasty.
poisonous old bug.