Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-06-25
Wonders of The Insect World.


The Rip Van Wrinkles, the JekyllS and
Hydes, the aristocrats, the philosophers
and the "hoboes" OF the insect world are
described in communication to the Ma
tional Geographic Society, at Washing
ton, D. c., by David Fairchild, the plant
explorer who has secured the world for
plants of economic value and introduced
them into the United States.
In describing The peculiar habits and
remarkable achievements OF insects, he
says that the champion aeronaut is the
king graSshopper, which has the ability
to jump 100 times its length. II can also
sail for 1000 miles before the wiRd.
These grasshoppers sometimes 60 in
such numbers that they make cloud
1000 square miles in extent. ats great
front lip hides pair of jaws as effective
as hay chopper, and it has an appetite
as voracious as that of hippopotamus,
writes Mr.. Fairchild. "A young chick
finds itself shut inside the egg-shell and
must work its way out alone, but the
young grasshoppers find themselveS-the
whole neStful-Shut in hardened case
in the ground made by their mother, and
il takes half dozen OF them working to-
gether 10 dislodge the lid which shuts
them in.
The carrying power OF the song OF the
cricket is extraordinary there are species
whose strident notes can be heard for
mile, although their little bodies are
scarcely more than an. inch in length.
The males alone are musical, and il IS
reasonable 10 suppose, since the females
have ears in their fore legs, that they are
singing 10 their mates and not 10 man
kind. As one listens TO their friendly
song it is hard TO appreciate what fighters
they are among themselves, the larger
ones even turning cannibals when food
is scarce.
OF al creatures of our houses, the
cockroach in the most deteSted. House
wives may be surprised 10 learn that
coCkroach can live five years, and that il
takes year TO develop maturity. The
female lays her eggs in horny capsule
like a spectacle case, which she carries
about with her until she is ready TO de-
poSit it in some suitable place. Later she
returns to help her baby cockroacheS out
OF their shells.
The song OF the cicada is the noisiest in
the insect world. The l7-year cicada
has been called the Rip Van Wlnkle OF
the insect world. From its tiny eggs
there issues a creature with soft white
body and moIe-like ontlegs. IthurrieS
TO the ground and disappears beneath its
surface sometimes to depth OF 20 feet.
For II years it digs its way around in
absolute darkness, and then comes TO the
surface TO join in marriage revelrY OF a
few brief weeks. Itis fullfledged crea-
ture of the air, though encaSed still in
grave clothes OF parchment; but ii soon
splits these up the back, pulls itself out,
dries its powerful wings, and flies away
with the whir OF an aerodrome to live
but few brief weeks.
The social organization OF the ants has
been the admiration OF human beings from
the earliest times, because the interest OF
the individual is merged so completely
into that Of the colony. Theirs is an or
ganizaton of females. The workers are
females, the soldiers are females, the
nurses are females, and there is one
queen mother for them all, who lays all
the eggs OF the colony. The males OF
any colony are but mates for the young
queens. Together with them they leave
the nest on their marriage day and to-
gether make their marriage flight, but as
soon as this is overthey die and the colony
gets on easily without them.
The DR.. Jekyll and MIR. Hyde is so
complete between the butterfly and the
velvety green worm that il is no wonder
that for centuries no connection between
the two careers OF these creatures was
suspected. In general it is true that no
moth or butterfly is injurious 10 plants
except in its larvae stage, and herein has
laid the clever reception which has doubt
less protected these gay mating creatures
OF the air from the systematic attacks Of
man until quite recent times.
The spider world has avagabond which
builds no nest or web, being content TO
use her marvellous silk in the construction
only Of sac in which TO lay her eggs.
II does not grow TO be more than half an
inch in length. but il is among the most
active OF all spiders, and in the United
States alone there are nearly score OF
species OF these little soldiers OF fortune
living nowhere and roaming the damp
fields in search Of prey.