New-York tribune., 1901-10-05
INSECT LIFE.


THE INSECT BOOK: Popular Account I,.e OF the the
other North American Insects, Exclusive OF
Life Histories, Tables and Biographies: By
Leland o. Howard. Octave, PIP. xvii, 42s
Doubleday Page Co.
Professor Howards book Will be welcomed by
those whose love of nature takes the form of in
sect study. For others he has alluring words in
behalf OF his science; subjects are every
where at hand. there wonderful structures
and interesting life histories to be studied
Furthermore. there is a field here for much orig
NAL work In the order of Hymenoptera alone
that which includes bees. wasps ants, gallfiies
and related forms-there are nearly thirty thou
sand described species; but DR.. Howard believes
that the enormous number OF undescribed
species would reach more than three hundred
thousand. A days collecting in Central Park
might yield a number OF species to science.
THE Insect Book itself is an incentive to
aspiring students-a handsome volume with
large number OF illustrations. the plates colored
and in black and white. being numerous and ad-
nirable. DR.. Howard has kept his promise OF
making a popular book, and his descriptions.
especially OF the better known insects, are al
ways readable and interesting. He pays COM
paratively little attention to the most familiar
manifestations of insect life, which whole
libraries have been written. such as those Of
more equitabIy TO the less known forms. The
solitary wasps form a group whose habits richly
repay study for their ingenuity. amusing
it is remarkable. One kind uses tools. such as
stone for tamping iron TO pack the earth into
the mouth of its burrow. distinct personality
has been noted among the females OF the Am
mophias they work:
One seemed TO hurry tremendously and spent
no time on non-essentials. Another was an
artist, working for a long time on the closing
Of her burrow, arranging the surface with scru-
pulous care, and sweeping away every little
Particle or aust TO distance. sun i anoIheE
went 10 the extreme in careiessness carrying
the caterpillar in a very careless way, and MAX
ing nest which was very poor affair sun
a fourth the most fastidious and perfect
little worker of the whole season
Professor Howard however warns us against
Interpreting the seeming intelligence Of bees.
ants and other insects from a too human point
Of view; some Of the most apparently intelligent
actions exhibiting when carefully tested. moth
ing to prove the existence of psychic quality.
and all being, in truth. mechanical He quotes
epprovingly Mark Twain's Chapter in Natural
History" in which he says that he has not
yet come across living ant that seemed 10
have any more sense than dead one"
It is somewhat disheartening to learn that the
flies though only about 10000 species.
known, probably number 100000 species; ento-
nologists are concluding that they probably
stand at the head Of the insect system in point
of evolution; that is 10 say. they are the most
highly specialized of insects, much in
the way of intelligence as in the completeness OF
their transformations and the highly specialized
organization Of the adults. The order.
not surprised to learn, is mot a popular
among entonologists and collectors and there
IS much work TO be done to complete our knowl-
ed4g Of them. Very many species are harmful
to growing crops and live stock. and many
kinds are responsible for the spread of disease
among men. Many near relatives Of the house
fly of value scavengers though even they
may carry germs of typhoid fever and Asiatic
cholera.
Cockroaches are practically domestic animals,
and are cosmopolitan and Of a highly respect
able antiquity. being found in several geologi-
cal forma tions prior TO the tertiary. They are
exceptionally cleanly insects" and the dornes-
tic animal makes constant effort TO beautify its
person, licking its legs and antenna much as a
cat washes its paws. The author describes one
which acquired the tobacco habit on his desk
from coming out 10 suck the moisture from the
butt of his cigar he would lay it down. This
had no appreciabe effect it's health. Pro-
fessor Howard closes his book with chapter
on Collecting and Preserving Insects" in
which he gives practical advice the choice
and construction of apparatus; the best ways
of securing insects OF different kinds: rearing
insects and killing and preserving them. In
this as all through the book, he has made his
appeal to the interested amateur. and has made
IL successfully.
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