South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-08-08

IL bugs look alike TO most people in
"a their responsiveness. We kill a fly
= n OF mesquite or caterpillar every
time we can and we rather naturally feel
inclined to destroy any other bug. beetle
or insect that comes within reach. But
here we are wrong.
Professor George A Pinder. Of the Amer
ican Museum Of Natural History in New
York has prepared a bulletin carefully
pointing out that not all insects are pests
In tact, many bugs and flying things are
mans faithful friends They may seen
Tepenant in features or startling habits,
but this should not weigh against the in
calculable service they kindly render man
kind
The dragon by or devils darning needle"
for instance is commonly mistaken as a
nuisance He flies about over the surface
OF ponds and lakes and frightens people.
He is quite a sizable insect and darts here
and there in sudden spurts He is reputed
10 bite" and is supposed by the ignorant
to enjoy boring into peoples ears All this
Is untrue He never did an unfriendly
thing TO a human being
The truth Is that the dragon ny IS a tire
less hunter and eater OF mosquitoes This
,is his one purpose in life He and his
children from the day they are born until
they die are busy with the praisewo-thy
light of mosquito determination. The big
dragon fly pursues the adult mosquitoes and
the little ones hunt and eat the Young mos
ouitoes splendid family arrangement.
Nobody should ever injure a dragon fly
As 10 the locust or grasshopper, there
are things 20 be said for and against him.
When ne is present in myriads he destroys
much But he can be and is many times
a source OF food supply John the Baptist
lived on locusts sweetened with wild honey
In St Matthew we read
And the same John had his ralment Of
camers hair and leathern girdle about
his loins, and his meat was locusts and
wild honey"
And in Leviticus We find this authorize
tive verse.
Even these Of them We may eat; the
locust after his kind and the bald locust
after his kind and the beetle after his
kind. and the grasshopper after his kind %
The Greeks valued grasshoppers very
highly as a delicaCv. according 20 PeriCles
and many tribes of Indians eat them with
relish and profit Scientists on field work
have diued with natives on locust dishes
and report them edible and nourishing
According 20 Professor Pinder the
losses in this country each year due %
insect activities amount 10 $500 600 600
which is about six times greater than
the annual fire loss In the entire United
States These enemy insects by their
habit OF carrying disease germs are instru-
mental I'm causing $1,000 deaths q year
s-om malarial and intestinal diseases
But the great mass OF insects are really
blessing In disguise so far as man is
concerned. FOR they keep up a continual
warfare on those wicked insects that prey
uvon man and his food DO is easy enough
% estimate the damage done by insects.
sl- il would be impossible 20 calculate the
kenefts that useful insects confer upon
humanity The losses incurred al present
would be perhaps q hundred times greater
The helpful insects were not on hand TO
Ffse battle 10 the parasitic creatures that
Fsge war on man and his food
The fruit crops OF the world owe their
-ristezce largely 10 the poIlinating Of the
A.osscms By insects and N these insects
cIG not perform this necessary work the
.,g.ts could not survive.
Ve often speak OF the advantages o.
--.c-ss-1 harvesting machinery but thes,
tAransGges pale into iusignihcance com
zrad v!ta the tremendous benefits de
urE5 from tAe insects OF the held. tn