26 LIFE STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN INSECTS. 



and allowed to remain there for two or three days. 

 Then this was swept up, and a fresh supply put 

 down. In a month's time the building was quite 

 free from the pest, and there was never a recur- 

 rence. 



Poisoned paste or food is often put down at night, 

 but this is specially dangerous where children are 

 concerned. 



Belt says in "Naturalist in Nicaragua," ''The Cock- 

 roaches that infest the houses of the tropics are very 

 wary, as they have numerous enemies, birds, rats, 

 scorpions and spiders ; their long trembling antennae 

 are ever stretched out, vibrating as if feeling the very 

 texture of the air round them ; and their long legs 

 quickly take them out of danger. Sometimes I tried 

 to chase one of them up to a corner where on a wall 

 a large cockroach-eating spider stood motionless 

 looking out for its prey ; the cockroach would rush 

 away from me in the greatest fear, but as soon as it 

 came to within a foot of its mortal foe, nothing 

 would force it onwards, but back it would double, 

 facing all the danger from me rather than advance 

 nearer to its natural enemy." 



Many other cockroaches are quite familiar. One, 

 a much smaller light brown insect about -|in. in 

 length is often known as the "Crotan" Bug. A 

 black wingless type {Pancsthia lacvicollis) measur- 

 ing about li inches long and with a small com- 

 pressed head, is met with in great numbers under 

 the bark of dead timber, and in rotten logs. An- 

 other large brown, wingless variety {Polyzosteria 

 limbata) (Plate 4, Fig. 2) has the edge of the body 



