Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-09
TRADE IN QUEER ANIMALS.
From an Insect to an Ele-
phant.
r. Sotn posf

From the Philadelphia saturday POST.
There is no branch of the animal king
dom. nor any corner of the world. that is
not ransacked and explored nowadays for
the purpose of collecting natural history
curiosities to supply the commercial de-
mand. Firms dealing in such merchandise
in large way are located in most big cities
both in this country and abroad, and judg-
ing from the comprehensiveness Of their
catalogues. 1t would seem as If there was
nothing that flies walks or swims that
they are not prepared to furnish on short
notice at list prices.
One of these catalogues advertises a large
assortment of live material" as 1t is
termed. From this document one learns
that he can obtain large bullfrogs at s. a
dozen. alive and kicking: medium sized
bullfrogs are cheaper, costing only 81. 10
for twelve. Turtles are 81 a dozen for
adults" and small ones for aquaria are
offered at 10 cents each. Pond snails, lin
assorted lots are listed at % cents a
dozen: crayfish cost 81 a dozen, and nevis
are Is cents each. In ordering crayfish, it
Is requested that few days notice be
given in which to secure them in case the
stock should be low. No such reservation,
however. is made in the case of earth
worms. which come at 60 cents a dozen. 1t
is safe to say that any small boy will fur
nish earth worms under this rate.
Grabs are not offered alive, but in alcohol,
blue crabs, spider crabs, fiddler crabs. mud
crabs and hermit crabs prices running
from 10 to % cents apiece, spider crabs
being the dearest. Insects, similarly pre-
served, are so cheap as to tempt purchase.
Squash bugs cost only 20 cents a dozen.
while giant water bugs come at only half
that price. Earwigs are quoted at 80 cents
a dozen, ant lions at 10 cents each, crickets
at % cents a dozen. seventeen-year locusts
at 10 cents apiece and June bugs at so
cents a dozen. Horseflies invite the buyer
at only 10 cents the fly, true wasps" may
be obtained for the same price, and bum
blebeeS foot the list at 6 cents.
In London, which is the great bug market
Of the world, auctions of insects are held
every year. and startling prices are paid
sometimes for rare specimens. AS much as
while an out-of-the-way beetle may be
valued at many times Its weight in gold.
Hamburg is a great market for wild ami
mails. largely from Africa, that city hav-
ing an important trade with the dark con-
tinent. To London comes much material
of the same sort from Australia and New
Zealand. and many rare creatures are OBJ
various parts of the world. An American
dealer not long ago made a special trip to
White bay, New Zealand, for the purpose
of procuring a kind of lizard called the
sphenodon.' which is regarded by scien-
lists a wonderful curiosity inasmuch as
it Is the only survivor of an entire order of
reptiles. all the other genera and species
having long since become extinct. This
lizard, which Is known to the native Maoris
as the "tuatera." is about foot and a half
long. and, oddly enough. seems to have
affinities with the crocodile. OF course, all
the kargarOos, wombats and f1ightess birds
come from Australia or New Zealand.