Evening star., 1901-03-09
HOW THEY LIVE IN WINTER
MANNER IN WHICH INSECTS SUR
vIvE THE COLD TERM.
All Are Snug1y Tucked Away in Crack
and Crevfce, in Egg
and Cocoon.
From the Baltimore American.

Winter, even the long-delayed winter of
the calendar, is here, though, as yet, many
have missed the familiar feature of the
season that give it individuality. No snow
has fallen, and the frosts have only been
the usual ones that come in the fall. There
hsO been no excessively cold weather, and
in every respect the season has been with
out positive features. A stroller yesterday
who had been denied for some months a
glance at a calendar and had lost sense or
knowledge of the time of the year, would
have had difficulty in guessing that the day
was in January and in the heart of winter.
For humanity's comfort this is well nigh
ideal, but as result of the condition many
things in the natural and animal world are
remarking as earnestly, what an awful
winter, as mankind is going about eX-
claiming, What magnificent weather.
The value of snow to vegetation is we'll
known circumstance in the economy of
nature, While other Wintry conditions have
their especial values to one or another of
the lesser animal kinds. Perhaps of all of
them none so thoroughly sympathZe with
the opinions of man on the subject of the
winter as all of the members of the insect
world. Excessively cold winters OCCASION
ally prove disastrous to these, and it is to
be supposed that there is more or less re-
5o!cing among the progeny of last summer S
housefles, bluebottle flies, katydids, grass
hoppers, locusts, caterpillars, butterflies,
bees, ants and spiders. Should there be no
material change in the conditions of wealth.
ec that have thus far prevailed, next sum-
mer, a result, may be expected to be q
record-breaker in the number of these,
pests as they are generally called, which
will make up the host of noisy and trouble
some denizens of the grass, treetop and air.
Quiet Succeeds Racket.
Just how these little folks are spending
the winter is a matter that few stop to
think about, and about which few have
any more than general idea. Everybody
Is aware that a winter stiffness has sue
ceeded the rackety conditions that prevail
outdoors during the summer. The change
came so gracefully that many, perhaps,
have not even thought of it. The chorus of
insects is not hushed forever and, as has
been said, bids fair to boast more throats
for the coming summer than has ever be-
fore Joined In the symphony that makes
the warm evening hideous, or musical just
as one chooses to look at it. There was,
indeed, an awful tragedy wrought by the
first breath of winter that stilled this or
chestra. The number Of insects of every
that occasion is beyond the power Of finite
figures to give. To say that millions of
them perished is but figure Of speech for
the awful mortality. Where, then, will
come the army more numerous than these
that will greet the returning spring with
highpitched tenor and throaty bass?
In the first place, the house fly and the
blue-bottle fly-the bane Of the housekeep-
er and Of the would-be summer-afternoon
dozer. The entire race of these was wiped
out by the first frost, for they make no
preparation for the winter. The female
portion Of the community however, spent
most Of their lives providing a posterity'
and In numberless chinks and odd corners,
indoors and out, countless eggs are now
waiting the Matching time, and the mild
weather is Fastening their development,
which is timed nicely to the seasons.
Katydids and GrasshOppers.
Katydids, grasshoppers and locusts, crick-
cts and beetles, like the poor fly, are killed
by the frost Millions Of eggs had
been hidden, however, in the ground, or IN
the barks of trees, to furnish the supply
of next year. All Of these are outdoors
and the balmy winter is especially grateful.
Beetles exhibit a wonderful instinct in car
ing for their helpless young. Among a GER
tain species, a ball of suitable material for
food Is made, and the eggs are rolled into
it, providing, In the spring, something to
eat near at hand for the voracious appe-
tite that characterizes the beetle from the
start, as the farmers Of the state know
very well. The burying, or sexton, beetles,
deposit their eggs in the bodies OF dead
birds or field mice The bodies and eggs
are carefully buried and the newly-hatched
beetle, as a result of this maternal fore
thought finds store Of food waiting him
when, in the spring, the sun stirs the bud
ding life, and, by its strange alchemy, bids
1t come forth. Butterflies and moths are
victims of the first frost. Both lay eggs in
a suitable feeding ground during the early
summer. The hatched larva or caterpillar
eats voraciously, gorging itself until it can
eat no more. Finally, it spins a cocoon,
and makes ready for winter Through the
cold season 1t apparently slumbers in Its
snug quarters, nourished by the plentiful
store of food it accumulated when cater
pillar. AT the proper time 1t emerges as
gorgeous butterfly, ready to be the element
of beauty it ever is among the summer
fields.
Spiders store away no food supply for
the winter Quantities Of eggs are laid
and are carefully stored away in velvety
eobweb sacks, impervious to any but the
most severe weather, and eminently snug
when, as during this season, there has been
no excessive cold.
The Ant Myth.
The ant is held I'D as a lesson to "the
sluggard," and all are familiar with the
fable of the thrifty ant that made prepara-
ton for the winter, and the shivering grass
hopper that stood outside and begged for
something to eat. This would lead to the
impression that wisdom dwelt in the halls
Of the ant hill. Such is not the case.
There may be q few Of these busy insects
that survive the winter, just as few hardy
flies are still to be found about the house.
The next generation Of ants, however, is
now snugly fixed up as an egg and cocoon,
hidden away In the security of the under
ground passages that are the familiar home
Of the ant. The storing up for the winter
is a myth, though 1t has served good pur-
pose in having been used since time imme-
mortal, to call the slothful to time The
bees and the wasps do lay up stores for the
winter, and are now enjoying the results
Of their forethought. The mild weather
means comfort to them particularly, and
there can be no doubt that there is much
gratitude in many hive that rough wealth
er has not figured in the seasons menu.