The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05
BUG HUHfERs FOR RRCBElTH0H
BUSTNHSS MEN RH6 FOLL0R
sPgCIALTIBs IN SCIENCE.

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~ AmOttpft -9priR6 1fin 81 . Collect
ING Ptr9-aaAse ESaskleS u seieAet.
Most up TO date scentista have adopted
SONS particular phase OF their favored
subject u q specially. The time has peeeed
| when a student Of tnaect life 4 einlply called
% cntomologist. When such Q guest
now Joins . ecdentiAc circle the query arises
What d hib epecisltyi ,
He may be coleopteriet, hpidopteriRt
or h~emipterist, which means that he studies
beetles, butterflies or an order Of insects
Including squash buea and spmS apecies
too unpleasant TO mention. The mere
student Of natural history belongs to the
past. r..
Some Of the most vigorous sdherents
Of epecislties ere business men who take
up science a. . hobby OF a diversion, This
is illustrated BY . notice that recently ap-
Academy Of Sciences and efallated eopieties.
The notice relsted to . meeting Of the Brook
Ign METEOROLOGICAL Society held IN the Brook
lyn 1nstltyte ~ Arts and sdences. The
notice read: Conference under the auspices
Of the institute on the o~occipellide or lady
bufs."
The principal participants at the oon.
ference on ladybuks we're business men
Of Brooklyn and Manhattan. oneof them
has an extensive collection Of o~occinellas,
and from hS mAnnerfof speaking his hobby
has been elabofately worked out.
At the meeting q visitor had his ideas
| Of lAdybues entirely shattered. Hia only
acquaintance with thAAe insects formerly
related to the -Isdybug, isdybug, ay away
home quotation OF childhood days. But
this was forgotten IN q discussion Of speoies
and distribution.
II appeared that there is q whole army Of
lAdtbues. There are red ladybuga and
yellow ladybues. even gresnish' and wholly
black onss. Some are red with black spots
and others are black with red spots. More
over. @ few OF them are actually huge-for
ladybuss-bsfng az large as q mans little
6nsernAil.
From the trend Of discussion II eeems
that they are distinguished by the number
Of epots on the elytrA or wing cases. And
at this stage the visitor learned something
that exploded the last Of hja romantic ideas,
for Il appears that the larvae or Immature
stages o. Adybugs quite belle their name.
They prowl about on leaves, stalk the green
plant lice and tear them limb from limb.
However, this habit places the ladybugs In
the category Of bsing economically valuable
to the sgriGulturiSt.
The New York EntomoloRipal Society.
meeting in the Am6rioan Museum Of Natural
History. 10 an equally enthusiastic body.
largely composed Of busipsss men Who have
taken up the study OF bugs. Some Of the
| epeoisltiee appear In every way adapted
to dihpel commercial brainstorm.
At . recent meeting 2 member exhibi:ed
a csae Of Apecineps consisting OF . series
Of the smaller st~aphylinide, but really
looking like q hprinkling Of cinders that had
neatly settled on bits Of paper impaled by
lanky pins. Long essays are read at meet
ings Of this society. One Of these may be
| presented by the hy specialist, who. to dis
pei any idaa OF d~isoourtesy In giving his
title. should be technically described a. .
student Of d~iptert-tvo winged insects or
dies.
To this article may be listening with the
greatest pstienos the experts on beetles,
ants. butterflies, moths and carpivorous
insects With 4 proboscis. None Of these
gentlemen, deep In the dreams Of their
wi specialties, may understand a word
Of what thu speaker is saying, but they
politely await the finish Of his discourse
when, under the head Of general discussion,
each gets q chance TO put in Q word about
his ~fayorite subject.
The society publishes a journal which
gives zach OF the specialists q chance within
tie pages to expatiate upon his subject in a
manner that would sevsrely test the good
ing. This journal, the contributors being
I.-11Iv x.~s -ka knx,n kaka. ,n hrnnokoa -
entomology a. . divsFsion from business
life, IL recognized among the professional
scientists Of the big museums as q valuable
organ.
Many new speoies have been described
within its pages. One copy Of the journal
contained an article by a man whose spe-
oialty vas to study insects preyine upon the
human dead. His cheerful methods OF
describing q srewsome subject and hints
at the difiouties OF finding sufficient OPP
portunity TO conduct elaborate investiga-
tons, point To his snergy in scientific re-
search.
Another chronological article was by q
student who spent all his spare time digging
into burrows Of the Southern gopher tor
toise. From bis discussion o 10 led 10
understand that the lnnermost reossses OF
these burrows are inhabited by almost
microscopic beetles. To find these one
must dig about eeventeen feet through
sandy soil that often caves in, hiding the
much sought buTrow. Tbs surprising part
Of the article explains these beetles to DO
hitherto unknown 10 science.
At this time Of the year the breath OF
spring brings forth al sorts Of crawling
things and tho entomologists 60 out to
meet them. The PaliaAdes Of the Hudson
Ia the vicinity Of Fort Lee constit ute a
favorite collecting ground.
The members Of q collecting party are
equipped according to their respective
interests. On q recent field excursion q
layman was impressed with the enthusiasm
and knowledge displayed by members Of
the party.
One tall gentleman Was provided with Q
long tin caAe which elAnked and ratified
90 vigorously. owing to is oontents, that
1t would have enabled the entire party to
keep step II strung we'll along the road.
Afterward II was ascertsined that the case
contained 4 small saw ana a hntcnst, its
owner being Interested In the antics az
wondering o~oltoptsra.
Though the day Was exceptionally clear
one member Of the expedition carried a
ta.n. ,,uaL~Aii. T9t. .,n.AI o,,t A. -