of this insect in Germany illustrate in an amusing way both sectional 

 and racial prejudices. In north Germany these roaches are known as 

 "Schwaben," a term which applies to the inhabitants of south Ger- 

 many, and the latter section retaliates by calling them "Preussen," 

 after the north Germans. In east Germany they are called " Russen," 

 and in west Germany "Franzosen," the two latter appellations indi- 

 cating a certain national antipathy to rival countries as well as a 

 fanciful idea as to origin. Still other names are "Spanier," dating 

 from the time of Charles V, and "Dane," from Denmark. 



DISTRIBUTION AND HISTORY. 



The roaches belong to a very extensive family, the Blattidse, com 

 paratively few of which, fortunately, have become domesticated 

 In temperate countries some four or five species are very commt 

 household pests, and a few occur wild in the woods; but they are 

 essentially inhabitants of warm countries, and in the Tropics the house 

 species are very numerous, and tlie wild species occur in great num- 

 ber and variety, many of them being striking in shape, coloration, 

 find size, one species expanding more than G inches. The inability 

 of the domestic roaches to withstand unusual cold was illustrated by 

 the fact that the severe weather in the winter of 1894 in Florida, 

 which was so destructive to the citrus groves, on the authority of 

 Mr. H. G. Hubbard, destroyed all the roaches, even those in houses, 

 except a few unusually well protected. Under suitable conditions 

 in the more northern latitudes the domestic species often multiply 

 prodigiously, and even in the far north a species occurs in the huts 

 of the Laplanders, and sometimes entirely devours the stores of 

 dried fish put away for winter consumption. 



While the domestic species are few in number, nearly a thousand 

 species of Blattidse have been described and preserved in collections, 

 and it is estimated that perhaps upward of 5,000 species occur at the 

 pi-esent time in different parts of the world. The great majority of 

 the roaches live outdoors, and, in warm countries, have the reputa- 

 tion of living on plants and sometimes being very injurious. This 

 belief has been recently questioned by Mr. J. G. O. Tepper, of South 

 Australia, who states that in his experience these insects are emi- 

 nently carnivorous, feeding on caterpillers and other soft-bodied 

 insects, and that with the increase of certain species in his gardens, 

 notably Epilainpra notahilis, "the herbivorous larvae disappear 

 rapidly." Mr. Tepper points out that the injury to plants occasion- 

 ally noted where roaches are abundant may very possibly be due to 

 other insects or to snails which again have attracted the roaches and 

 on which the latter feed. That roa'ches will eat fruits and the 

 starchy tubers and other products of plants is a common observa- 



