New-York tribune., 1907-10-20
GIGANTIC INSECTS.
Hoo Would Man Fare If Such a
Race ETiSted2

The recently introduced custom of museum
managers whereby faithful representations of
insects-faithfu in everything but size-are
carefully constructed and put on exhibition for
the instruction of young and old has resulted
tn greatly increased interest especially on the
part of children in the study of natural his
tory. These insect models many times en-
larged, and the weird effects produced thereby
have a strong fascination for many museum
Visitors. one artist has been affected by
them that he has been letting his imagination
and his pencil depict scenes of what would
happen to poor little man if these museum mon
sters should come TO life and proceed to prop
agate their species with the amazing celerity
they show in their miniature sizes. Man then
would quickly become the hunted instead of
the hunter and he would need the best of
Weapons to defend himself with. for some of
these insects are so splendidly armored that
rifle ball would have effect their shells.
ARTILLERY would be required to pierce them, and
as they could leap thousand yards in one
sump it would be exceedingly difficult for
artillery to get their range Other armOred
bugs could fly as well as leap, and dirigible
Rirships could not save us from them.
Some insects lay eggs at the rate of sixty a
alinute. or eighty thousand a day, and from
the egg TO fun maturity Of the young insect oc-
cupics only few hours. Insects constitute by
far the largest group of living creatures on
HE globe. The most conservative estimate
places the number of species alone at five
millions They feed every part of every
plant that grows. and also upon dead plant
tissue in ever, stage of decay. They will even
eat soil mould. They prey upon all forms Of ami
NAL life devour not only living meat but dead
and putTid flesh. All eXCrementtiOus sub
stances are daintics 10 them. and fabric is
too dry for their taste.
Fancy a cloud Of mosquitoes. all big
eagles, with stngs long darning needles
and as sharp doctors lancots Each fc-
male in the swarm" says Frank T.. Lutz,
biologist. would lay from two to four hundred
ogcs-say two hundred. and consider that half
of them die before they breed again. The first
brood viii give hundred insects. Of which half
will probably BE- females. Each Of these will
have at least 100 progeny. or 1000 altogether
These 800 females will give a third brood,
numbering 100000 Of which Will consider
10000 meet an early death The l25.UO fc-
males left give us 12J0OO0O for the fourth gen
oration and so on. until tho sixth generation
numbers 3l.-JO .OuOoOO. or grand total OF 1SN.-
13T,1I5. 100 during the lifetim" Of each mosquito
mother in the original troupe for each mother
mosquito lays the eggs for SIX hroods in one
season of two weeks Duration"
How long would cumhc- the earth II
mosquitoes alone were TO assume gigantic siz"
ana no reckoning at all were taken of tho other
millions Of insects? Those who EruInhc at the
management oc the world may thank their lucky
Jars that things they arc
Why, even if the tiny bacini, which it takes
microscope to disclose to mans eye at all
Were to be allowed by Dame Nature to increase
at their natural rate it has been estimated
that baCilIuS will I'm only fotr bours
produce 11,OG9G00 similar individuals. and III
three days this rate of increase would form
mass of living organisms weighing 1900 tons
big some warships-and numbering 4.772,-
GoG00G00 baccili, each of which, segregated
from the mass, would be invisible to the naked