The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-04

trees of the scale. They have invited
the useful ladybird, or ladybug, to
| come over to help them. The ladybird
exterminated the pest in California.
This pretty little creature with the dis
agreeable smell is one of the 10000
different species of beetles. Like all
of the other insects this one with the
feminine name plays a part in MAIN
tanning what the student of all the
elements which make up this complex
earth would call the balance of life.
1t is one of the bugs that eats a bug"
ETC., and itself is eaten, the whole
being somewhat like "the house that
Jack built" The entomologist has a
hard time enough of it, for it is esti-
mated that there are more than $780,
600 different species of insects-more
than are to be found of all the other
groups of land animals together. In
the course of his study Of these six
legged creatures with their strange
metamorphoses he meets with many
strange looking creatures which do
strange things.
There are said to be more beetles
than any other order of insects. They
range in size from the mighty Her
cules beetle six inches long to little
fellows so small that a microscope Is
needed to learn anything about them.
Some of them are ferocious. indeed.
Such is the tiger beetle. Many of them
are cannibals. Some were believed once
to be possessors of everlasting life
every season rising from the ground
phoenixlike.
Fanciful stories have been told about
the Hercules beetle with his three-inch
, horn. He lives in South America. Ac-
cording to one writer, he overindulges
| now and then in an inebriating cup
| These immense insects. he declares,
| sometimes gather on the limb of the
mammee tree to suck its juices. They
nimby rasD off the rind with their
| horns until they come to the juicy in
terror. The juice they drink until they
become intoxicated and fall senseless
| to the ground. Another observer tells
| a tale which caps this. They saw off
| limbs, this one calmly asserts. The
| operation is accompanied by a noise
exactly like that of a knife grinder
holding steel against the stone of his
whsal.
There is more than one beetle armed
with a disaareeable odor. One is the
row beetle. This beetle is said tc
be very numerous and very useful. The
| largest and most familiar member OF
| the family Is known as the devils
coach horse" This cognomen was sug-
| gested by his repulsive aspect, disgust
ing odor and generally ferocious ma
! ture. He Is a dull black, narrow and
a little over an inch long. One may
often see him scuttling along path
i way ever ready to accept a challenge
A walking stick set down near him is
sufficient to stir him up. Instantly ne
faces around to give battle. opening a
formidable pair Of sickle shaped jaws
and bending the under part OF his body
/ over his back, as II to suggest that, like
a scorpion, he carries a sting In his
tail There is no sting, however. but a
weapon almost as effective. This II
nothing more than a pair of soft gel
| low vesicles. which can be protruded
at will. From them floats a most
abominable odor. He needs only a
small amount Of provocatlon TO brina
this battery into action.
He Is not the only beetle oddly arm
ed. There is the bombarder. He II
/ small, but carries about with him a
piece OF artillery. II Is not exactly
what might be termed q Long Tom,
but Il might be described as a stern
chaser" He provides a LIQUID which
~ 70 volatile that when Il comes IN
contact with the open air Il exDlodes
with a slight report, leaving a cloud
~ thin smoke. This fluid IL capable
or staining the human skin black, and
10 deeply that II cannot be gOt rid
Of for several days. n will also burn
When a number ~ these beetles are
found together and they are disturbed
the scene suggests a battlefield IN min.
iature, A fugiiade viii be continued fof