El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-15

viii do what they can to Increase the
range Of the museums collections, free
Need of study Is Great.
As was stated before, no branch OF
the general science Of zoology is so
much in need OF study as that which
deals with the insect world 1t is
stated by DR.. Howard. the curator OF
the division of insects Of the Ma
tional musuem, and the chief Of
the bureau Of entomology Of the de-
partment of agriculture, that a days
work by a collector in Central Park
few yards away from the Museum OF
Natural history in New York in Logan
square, Philadelphia, within zoo yards
of the Academy Of Natural Sciences, or
in the Mall in Washington, surround
Ing the National museum, might reveal
a number Of new species Of insects
How unexpectedly new discoveries in
the insect world are made is illustralbd
by the work Of August Busck in his
inVesUg cations relative TO the tussOcE
moth, a leaf-eating insect in Massa-
chusetIs and elsewhere. Mr.. Busck dis
covered that the eggs Of this moth were
preyed upon by a species OF small Waspss
known as the museum pest. because
Of its tendency to eat skins and other
mounted objects in museums 1t never
had been suspected that the museum
pest would eat live animal matter IN
I'll this fact was discovered by MI
Busck. He found that it stings the
larVa Of the tusSOck moth so as not
to kill it, but to paralyze it. After
It has stung the larTa it pulls the poor
creatures legs and the hairs on its
body, to make sure that the paralysis
has been complete Then IL breaks the
skin Of the larva by repeatedly singing
It and lays its eggs over the wound
In few days the larva WaSps hatch
out. and use the body OF the moth
larva for food.
Another parasite Of the tussoek moth
becomes wonderfully abundant in times
when the moths exist. in great mum
bers- Their abundance causes such in
roads upon the tussock moth pOpula-
ton that by the following season the
moths are almost put out OF business
Then secondary parasite begins to
grow and attacks the tussock moth
parasite just as that parasite had at
tackled the tussock moth. This 50
reduces the enemy OF the tussOck moth
that the moth begins TO multiply rap
idly again, and soon becomes as nu-
merous- as before. Meanwhile, IL IS
said, there Is a third parasite of the
tussock moth which preTs upon the
secondary parasite ana reduces its
chance to multiply again.
Parasites Prevent Destruction.
Without parasitism as a check and
balance, some species might become
so numerous as to overwhelm every
thing There have been instances
where the cotton caterpillar and other
pest have become so numerous as to
destroy everything within their range,
and only the Intervention OF a para
site preying upon them has prevented
them from Over-running everything 1t
is we'll that there is such a system OF
checks and balances upon the ascend
ency OF each species. for If the multi
plication Of any species OF animal or
plant were to go on unchecked. ft
soon would cover the earth. The prog
eny OF a single aphid in ten genera
tons. as calculated by Huxley. would
weigh over 30.O0O,00O tons. The hon
aphid has Is generations a year con
sisting entirely OF females up to the
last generation
One Of the finest collections Of buf-
TEXTILES in the world is that presented
70 the National museum by William
Scnaus- Mr.. Schaus is OF German ex-
traction MS father having been the