Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1913-01-18
Student HUNTS BUG
Member Of chronological Staff
Tells of Expedition.
email Beetio-LIke insects Arc Never
Known to Venture From crevleos
During Dayllsht-Rare Species
Arc Worth SIS.


Washington.-Hous who wage
incessant war ON cockroachea and
other vermin are cautioned by en-
tomoiogints to stay their hands and
inquire carefully into the antecedenta
of any black beeltelike bug which
peers around corner of the Kitchen
sink. For the visitor may be none
other than one of the amblychila
baroni cicindelidae. the most aristo-
cratic family In bugdom. whose mem
bers retail at az much as SIS apiece.
provided they are delivered with limbs
and feelers intact.
A former student of the University
OF Chicago. who IL now on the en-
Genealogical stan OF the department
OF agriculture at Washington. few
days ago described his expedition into
the native haunts OF the amblychiia,
which he explored long enough TO
gather In considerable pin money by
the sale Of whole families.
When l learIfed the baroni had
been seen In an obscure part OF Ari-
zona only about half dozen bugs
we're known to entomologists." said
the investigator. One of these was
In the Leconte and Horn collection In
Philadelphia. Most of the others were
In the River collection in San Fran
cisco.
The first had been caught near
Globe. Ark. A naturalist named
Schaefter also located a few southeast
Of Nogales, Ariz. was familiar with
the characteristic of the creatures
through my studies under Curator
Snow OF the University of Kansas.
uow deceased, and when he invited
me to Join party into the noun
tains OF Arizona to hunt the ambly-
chila ! was glad to go as IL there had
been buried treasure at the end Of
the journey.
we found conditions favorable at
Peach Springs, near Ashford. Ariz.
From there we went into the noun
tains. There were no amblychiia to
be Been, but we acted on the general
superstition that they were in this
neighborhood. We spent several days
moving about in the mountains and
finally selected a favorable spot for
the bug to appear.
Now. the ambIychila baroni family
ls most exclusive and has never been
known to come forth in broad day
light Twilight and an hours before
dawn are supposed to be the times
when they appear. We tried several
twilights and several dawns without
result. One night a light rain fell
and we agreed that the da.npness
might invite the bugs out, although
1t made 1t decidedly uncomfortable
for us
That night we scattered over the
hills and kept watch near crevices In
the rocks. Ilay with my head resting
on my elbow watching innumerable
insects and bugs crawl by In the
shady light. Finally saw the long,
black feelers of what might be one OF
the amb.yahila appear, and then an
other. i waited until they got well
out of the crevice. for they are de-
cidedly cautious creatures, then
scooped the two up in my hand. BY
their struggles / knew that / had the
right species No bug struggles as
hard as the baroni. Then I stuck
them into small par OF cyanide of
potassium which carried. The fumes
killed them quickly,
Il sold number OF my amblychila
baroni for $25 end some for SIS and
$40. Our expedition multiplied the
number Of know specimens consider
ably and the price went down little.
l don't know how many specimens our
entire party captured. but Altogether
the expedition was success from a
monetary as well as an CHRONOLOGICAL
standpoint"