THE VAINEST CREATURE ON EARTH.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1987, 7 May 1906, Page 7

THE VAINEST CREATURE ON EARTH.

' According to a writer in the “New York Journal,” no woman is half so vain as some of the commonest of insects, and those of the male order too. Young Mr. Wasp, for instance, cannot be induced to separate himself from his comb and brush for a moment. He carries his toilet articles grown fast to his front legs, just as most of the flies do ; and every time he stops to think what to do next, he uses them as unconsciously and naturally as a man twirls his moustache. \on vc seen spruce \ oung houseflies vigorously performing their toilet a hundred times a day. They wash their faces with the utmost energy, comb themselves all over, j rub their legs together to clean out the combs and brushes, shake out I their gauze wings, and whisk themselves away to perfectly paralyze with their charms some poor little Miss Fly who was never yet caught in front of a mirror, j Young Mr. Spider carries about a ' complete manicure set, combined with comb and brush. Y’ou do not , think his style of beauty warrants any such extravagance ; but he , knows better. At the first sight of pretty Miss Spider, he goes quite I furiously to work polishing his teeth and claws, combing bis hair, and I plumbing the feathers on his legs. 15, v the time he has finished, and hopped sideways a few times to demonstrate his grace and agility, it is all over with Miss Spider. Young Mr. Ant lias such a passion for cleaning up chat he does not confine these attentions to himself. He will stop in the midst of his sternest duties to wash the face of Miss or Madam Ant, or even of some friendly beetle. EACH OTHER’S EYES FOR MIRRORS. You will often see two spiders performing their toilet face to face, as though engaged in a deadly conflict of cleanliness. The true significance of this was not understood until a fine young jumping spider, ambushed for flies in a crevice of a garden wall was confronted by a camera, and had his picture taken. When the negative was developed,

in each of tin; Jour big eyas wore perceived images of surrounding objects. Inference What better mirror could one spider desire when performing his toilet than the eyes of another spider ? In the case of dies, this sort, of mirror might be expected to be somewhat confusing, being composed of some scores of separate facets, each of which gives a complete reflection ; still, the other fly, having the same Kim) of multiple lenses reflecting multiple images upon iiis brain, he, perhaps, is used to “seeing double.” Mr. Salticus. as the .scientist calls the jumping spider, is every inch a ladies’ man. When he goes courting, he never fails to paralyze Miss Salticus with admiration. At his approach she simply can't move a muscle, while he nearly jumps out of his hairy skin through stress of desire to fascinate. First he Hikes a graceful, sidewise walk about the object of his affection, and I hen begins to attitudinize. Miss Salticus simply can’t resist him. A DAZZLING FANCY WAISTCOAT There is a brilliant little spider

dandy handicapped with the awe-in-spiring scientific name of llabrocestum splcndens. whose fancy waistcoat is his special pride. The upper part of his abdomen has ail the hues of the rainbow, seeming really like a haberdasher's masterpiece in silk velvet, with diamonds, rubies, ami emeralds for buttons. When it comes to vanity in the way of housekeeping, however, Mrs. Moth can give lessons to her sex of (la* human family, every hour in the day. From her earliest hours she is a luxurious creature, too. and wears silken underwear of her own spinning She does her own mending in the most careful manner. As she grows, her first frock begins to feel tight, she cuts a slit in it, and lets in a gusset or triangular gore of new material. A similar insertion is made in the other side, and then she reverses hersi If head for tail, and makes corresponding alterations in the other end.

FHOUD AND 11 Al'O 1 ITV ANTS. 'l'lii'iT is a species of ants who arc so proud and puffed up with vanity that 1 liny disdain to do any of their own work. They have slaves—lowbred ants —who do everything lor them, oven bringing up their children. The only thing they, do for themselves is to light, and this lakes nj> most of their lime when they tire not being fed and groomed and amused by their slates. These aids (the Folyergus lucidus) tin* real nobility and gentry of the whole ant race, are most peculiar in lh(* matter of their funeral rites. They have camelries in which they are laid away with much pomp. No slave ant ever is buried in this cemetery. When a slave ant dies, his carcase is dragged off among the ragweeds and burdocks by some backyard fence. No, never again Iterate your wife for her vanity. Let her primp. She can never equal insects in this department.