waterworks system in New York City. The popular designations 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, " 

 afterthe north Germans. In East Germany they arecalled " Russen," 

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

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

 ful 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 Blattidae, com- 

 paratively few of which, fortunately, have become domesticated. In 

 temperate countries some four or live species are very common house- 

 hold 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 the wild species occur in great number and 

 variety, many of them being striking in shape, coloration, and size, one 

 species expanding more than 6 inches. The inability of the domestic 

 roaches to withstand unusual cold was illustrated by the fact that the 

 severe weather in the winter of 1S94 in Florida, which was so destruc- 

 tive 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 lati- 

 tudes the domestic species often multiply prodigiousl};^, and even in 

 the far north a species occurs in the huts of the Laplanders, and some- 

 times 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 

 present time in different parts of the world. The great majority of the 

 roaches live outdoors, and in warm countries have the reputation 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 eminently carnivo- 

 rous, feeding on caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects, and that 

 with the increase of certain species in his gardens, notably Epilamjyra 

 notahilis, "the herbivorous larvae disappear rapidly." Mr, Tepper 

 points out that the injury to plants occasionally noted where roacl.es 

 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. 



ICir. 51] 



