New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-09-09

Hit Broadway
In High Jumps
Red Legged Adventures
From New Jersey Reach
Top of Woodwork Build
ing i'm First Invasion
Bug Experts ON the Job
Species is Said To Be Dis
tant Cousins of the
Rocky Mountain Variety

Grasshoppers of mercenary turn Of
mind have left their homes in Jersey
or Long Island to seek their fortunes
along Broadway. Every morning a
dozen of the ambitious hoppers may
be seen pursuing their careers and each
other on the narrow stone balcony that
runs around the forty-third floor of
the Woolworth Building, and every
evening they are swept away by Joe,
whose brush knows no discrimination
between the animate and inanimate.
But where do they come from and
how do they get there7 Gushing Stet-
son, whose Office is with the American,
international Discount Company ON the
forty-third floor OF the building, will
rot stand the strain Of the mystery
much longer. He has gone SO far as
to examine the doorstepg Of houses in
the vicinity for grasshoppers that
might prove a solution of his problem.
But his efforts prove fruitless and
every night he returns home with a
package of the esadventurers to feed to
his daughters pet turtle Norwich.
The forty-third floor is about five hun
dred feet above Broadway. 1t looks out
upon neighborhood of brick and con-
crete. unpalatable for grasshoppers.
There is no vegetation atop the sky
scraper where an insect might board,
nor even fowery window box. Yet,
every morning when the Office windows
are thrown open in hop two or three
of them, thoroughly at home among
rugs, file cabinets and glass topped
desks. At the New York Geological
Society, where Mr.. Stetson applied in
despair, DR.. William T. Hornaday, the
director, was unable to offer assistance.
Entomologist Solves Mystery
The only course left was to consult
William T. Davis. the Staten Island
naturalist. Accordingly, one of the
grasshoppers was carried in an enve-
lope literally punctured with air holes
to Mr.. Davis's laboratory.
Him." said the ntomologist, "Me-
laneplus femur-rubrum, the red-legged
grasshopper. No wonder she preferred
high life on the Woolworth tower to
the simple existence of the meadows.
She Is first cousin to rowing stock.
the Rocky Mountain locusts, now quite
extinct, species known to migrate
miles away from home"
Miss Femur-rubrum was dropped ON
a Carbona- blotter in small
glass jar, where she Immediately stiff
fened her slim red legs and expissA.
Her body was compared with the othcr
specimens in Mr.. Dayis's morgue and
her identity definitely established.
Gets Into Hall of Fame
The red-heeled adventures probably
decided to migrate from home without
having fully made up her mind where
to alight, and it was only after she saw
the torch on the Woolworth tower,
cleaning above the water that sepa-
rated it from her home, that she made
for the building, Mr.. Davis believes.
As for it's ability to make long dis
tance hops, the naturalist testified that
some grasshoppers can fly three or
four miles, although most Of them are
satisfied with thirty-foot running
high jump. The species that infesta
the Woolworth balcony is probably
helped along in it's flight by winds
blowing from the Long Island or New
Jersey meadows.