Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-12
THE FIGHTING DOODLE

| interest in this remarkable American
| bug. Consequently We have spent an
entire afternoon in Maryland study
/ ing specimens of tho doodle and an
| encyclopedia according to the best
| scientific methods. Tho conclusions
VIC lay forth here for your Information
on this important subject.
The doodle bug lives in the southern
states In dry. sandy places. The
winged insect which the doodle be-
comes Gust like the caterpillar and
the butterfly lays her eggs in the sand.
As soon as he matches out into i
bug the young doodle starts instinc-
lively on his life work. Walking
hackward-and we have never seen
doodle walk othcrwise-he begins
to paw up little scoops of sand onto his
Nat head and throw them outside the
circle with jerk.
The energetic young thing continues
/ to 20 round and round in smaller and
deeper circles until he has made 4
cone-shapcd pit. In the bottom OF the
cone he Conccals himself only allow
ing his two mandiblos to stick out of
tho sand. These mundiblcs arc sharp.
sicklc-shapod jaws. When AN ant or
some other winglcss insect wanders on
tho edge of the crater. the sand begins
/ TO slip and tho victim slides down TO
tho jaws which squeeze it dry and toss
the remains outside.
Tho doodle bug, as you can sec. IS
a cannibal by nature. He. OF all crc-
aturcs. Is a being who sits by him
self. Any bug, even a doodle who
comes within his range either has to
Kill or be killed. The doodle will slay
his sister, or third cousin just as
! readily as he would make way with
an utter stranger.
His method OF fighting has never
been systematically studied by a cop-
pctcnt expert in bugs and fighters
From our short observation the tao
ties arc as follows: Tho two doodle
bugs clinch aud then continue to clinch
until ono or tho other gets tired and
curls up, after which there is "a funeral
The whole basic Idea of the doodle bug
lighting system is to seize the enemy
In "A vital spot, on the hip. or the heel
or wherever IL may be in the doodle
bug anatomy.
The excitement consists in seeing
thcm so at each other backwards. then
in watching their antics and the cN-
prossiona on their faces during the
duel. How much enjoyment one can
gain from watching the expressions of
the lighting doodlcs depends partly
VIC would not say largely-on ones
Imagination and a good rnagnifying
glass. With these accessories IT Is
easily possible to follow combat with
the same emotions, slightly diluted.
that ono would feel at IA Madison
Square Garden ring battle.
on first seeing each other tho two
bugs ordinarily express surprise. But
soon the wonder at locating another
of their kind changes to anger, pos
sibly. we believe, merely assumed for
purposes of strategy. Anyway they
register anger. and glare at each other
from a distance of a few inches apart.
Then they come on, headed backwards
as usual, steering by their eyes. which
arc conveniently placed to facilitate
q rclr end advance. After the col
lision, the contest is. like any other
battle, merely "a question of endurance
and strength, with a few points for
technique.
ono strange discovery which We have
been able to make by close attendance
at doodle bug ducls is tho Language
of tho Tight We have explained that
only when he Is lighting or eating docs
the doodle bug come into contact with
other creatures. Naturally then. his
language is apt to he crude, little morc
perhaps than system of grunts.
groans, and chuckles. But we are
sure, from our observation. that his
speech is organized to this extent at
least.
when we understand tho language
more rully, We may bo able to trans
lat" tho remarks The doodl" makes
Iii, conversation u not intclligiblo to