The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-28

and to put into practice the results of
valuable research"
why is South America more fertile
in the line of chronological expert
ment than other sections of the world?n
l asked.
"Becasue so far it is undeveloped."
was the answer "and besides that, in
the exotic climes. insects flourish and
multiply TO a greater extent than in
northern parts. Even in Louisiana 1t
is more noticeable than in the up
country of the southern states"
What particular benefit is derived from
this investigation and determination OF
insects?" l asked Some of them don't
seem big enough to do any harm to any
thing
That's Just the point. Unscientific
treatment of the subject often results in
the determination of an insect that is USE
full and the survival of those which are
really injurious. Like the little things in
life, the little insects are usually over
looked, and the larger ones have all the
blame laid on them.'
Every insect has its natural enemy"
Mr.. Rosenfeld went on to tell me. For
instance, the deadly tarantula has the
tarantula hawk or blue wasp, which is
the only thing that can effectually sub
due it. The blue wasp is a great big
thing like our DEVILS horse. He belongs
to the dirt dauber famlly.
probably a second cousin, once re-
moved l suggested fiippantly.
That's the idea" said Mr.. Rosenfeld.
"The blue wasp injects fluid into the
tarantua that puts him completely out of
business. After he has done this he tugs
and tussels with the tarantula until he
finally takes him to his abode. There he
stays for months and months without
food, which by the way is an entomo-
Loo xxh or
solved, like the dirt dauber, and that
species that live for months with ap-
parently no food at all. II the wasp lays
her eggs in the fall and they are not
hatched out until spring. all during this
time the family feeds upon the tarantula-
but the tarantula's days for combat are
over. An odd thing about true parisitism
among insects is that it is the most cruel
thing in the world. For instance, some
of the little parasitic wasps will lay
their eggs inside the body of some cata-
pillar. Take the cane borer, with which
I've. been particularly experimenting
When the little parasitic worm matches
from the egg inside of the body of the
caterpillar 1t begins feeding upon the or
gans of the caterpillar's body. In this case
the catapillar is called the host"
II should say so, since he is furnishing
the refreshments and the entertainment"
lnterpolated.
with an almost uncanny INTUITION tn6
little parasite knows that if 1t should
touch the heart or digestive organs of the
caterpillar 1t would end its own existence,
because the caterpillar would die and
food would stop, and so with demoni-
acal cruelty it avoids these parts and
subsists on the juices of the poor little
caterpillar until it reaches maturity, then
with a f1endish and cruel delight the little
worm destroys the vital organs of its
host palnctures it's body and emerges a
full fedged fly or wasp, as the case
may be-
MIR. Rosenfeld told with consummate
skill and unfailing interest of his trip
through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Costa
Rica and Honduras on his way to the
states, going over the Andes on mule
back.
'In five days trip said ne, I'VE were
never lower than 1900 feet above sea
level, an elevation about the same as
Pixies Peak.
I'm Peru I visited the Cuzo or the Sa-
cred City of the Incas, and in Bolivia,
even older ruins; in fact the oldest on
record of American civilization, Tiahua-
naco, which was one of the features OF
the trip