Report of the State Entomologist 



325 



In a letter recently received from Mr. S. S. Rathvon, of Lancaster, 

 Pa., who apparently has an almost exhaustless store of untold 

 observations upon insect lives and habits, 

 he has given me the following account of 

 his early acquaintance with the Cermatia, 

 which is particularly valuable as ante- 

 dating all the published records of the 

 domestic habits of this strange creature. 



Observed in Pennsylvania in 1849. 



From the spring of 1841 until the close 

 of 1848, my residence was in Marietta, Pa. 

 During that period, I actively canvassed 

 the townships of East and West Donegal, 

 in Lancaster count}', and Hallom and 

 adjoining townships in the county of 

 York — in fact it was the most active 

 period in my life in field entomology. 

 During all of the above time I never saw 

 a single specimen of Cermatia forceps ; 

 but the first year after m}' removal to 

 Lancaster I met them frequently, espe- 

 cially in the cellars of old buildings. My 

 place of business was at \o. 101 North 

 Queen street, and my private residence 

 at No. 5UG on the same street, in an ele- 

 vated location. At the former location 

 they were large and of a bluish-green 

 color. About the second or third year Fig. 39.— Ceematia forceps. 

 they began to appear in the cellar and (After Wood.) 



also in the upper rooms of my residence, but not so large nor yet so 

 highly colored — more of a drab color, except the feet, which were 

 white. 



A Cockroach-killer. 



In the same building, with only a four-inch wall between us, lived 

 a Mr. James G. Thackara, an agent of the Adams Express Company. 

 His house was more infested than mine, and he frequently brought 

 me fine specimens of them. He called them the " Cockroach-killers," 

 and he related some of his observations in reference to them, as 

 follows: 



On two or three occasions he witnessed conflicts between them and 

 the cockroach [Periplanata orientalis (Linn.)], which always ended in 

 the death of the roach. The roach seemed to be conscious that he 

 had engaged in conflict with his deadly enemy; he made no attempt 

 to escape, but raised himself up as high as he could on his feet, and 

 seemed to have his eye fixed upon his foe — both animals apparently 

 reconnoitering and trying to get the vantage ground. This might 

 continue for from ten to fifteen minutes, until the myriajDod would 

 seize the first opportunity to pounce upon the roach at an unprotected 

 point and get him in his embrace, when after a very short time he 

 would relinquish his prey and leave him dead upon the field. What 

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