BLATTID^ — COCKROACHES. 7 9 



weeks, it fed almost exclusively on these insects, and con- 

 tributed most effectually to rid the vessel of them. It fre- 

 quently ate a score of the largest kind, which are from two 

 to two and a half inches long, and a very great number of 

 the smaller ones, three or four times in the course of the 

 day. It was quite amusing to see it at its meal. When 

 he had got hold of one of the largest Cockroaches, he held 

 it in his fore-paws, and then invariably nipped the head off 

 first ; he then pulled out the viscera and cast them aside, 

 and devoured the rest of the body, rejecting the dry elytra 

 and wings, and also the legs of the insect, which are covered 

 with short stiff bristles. The small Cockroaches he ate 

 ^without such fastidious nicety."^ 



The common Cockroach, or Black-beetle, as it is some- 

 times vulgarly called, the Blatta orientalis, is said origi- 

 nally to be a native of India, and introduced here, as well 

 as in everj other part of the civilized globe, through the 

 medium of commerce. In England, another species, said 

 to be a native of America, Blatla Americana^ larger than 

 the last, is now also becoming very common, especially in 

 seaport towns where merchandise is stored.^ 



An old Swede, Luen Laock, one of the first Swedish 

 clergymen that came to Pennsylvania, told the traveler 

 Kalm, that in his younger days, he had once been very 

 much frightened by a Cockroach, which crept into his ear 

 while he was asleep. Waking suddenly, he jumped out of 

 bed, which caused the insect, most probably out of fear, to 

 strive with all its strength to get deeper into his skull, pro- 

 ducing such excruciating pain that he imagined his head 

 was bursting, and he almost fell senseless to the floor. 

 Hastening, however, to the well, he drew a bucket of water, 

 and threw some in his ear. The Roach then finding itself 

 in danger of being drowned, quickly pushed out backward, 

 and as quickly delivered the poor Swede from his pain and 

 fears. ^ 



The proverbial expression "Sound as a Roach" is sup- 



1 Quot. by Samouffle, Ent. Cab., 1-8. 



2 Baird's Cyclop, of Nat. Sci. 



3 Pinkei't oil's Voy. and Trav., xiii. 108. A beetle, insinuating 

 itself in the ear of Captain Speke when in Central Africa, caused 

 him the greatest pain imaginable. It was six or seven months be- 

 fore all tlie pieces of it were extracted. — Blackwood' s Mag., Sept. 

 1859. Barth's Central Africa, ii. 91, note. 



