or on shipboard. The numerous tropical house species, many of which 

 are perhaps only partially domesticated, and the subarctic roach of 

 high altitudes and of the extreme north have been omitted. 



The American roach (Periplaiieta americana) (fig. 1) is the native 

 or indigenous species of this continent, originating, it is supposed, in 

 tropical or subtropical America. 



The ancient and rather quaint account of this insect ^ quoted below 

 in a footnote indicates that this species earl}^ came to the notice of our 

 forefathers. Its domesticity doubtless resulted from ages of associa- 

 tion with the aborigines. It has now become thoroughly cosmopolitan 

 and is unquestionably the most injurious and annoying of the species 

 occurring on vessels. It is sometimes numerous also in greenhouses, 

 causing considerable injury to tender plants. It is a notorious house 

 pest and occasionally vies with the German roach in its injuries to book 

 bindings. One of the most serious cases of injury of this sort was 

 reported by the Treasury Department. The backs, sometimes entirely 

 of both cloth and leather bound books were eaten off to get at the 

 starchy paste used in the binding. (Insect Life, Vol. I, pp. 67-70.) 



This roach is very abundant in the Middle and Western States, 

 where until recently it has been practically the only troublesome house 

 species. In the East it is not often so common as are one or other of 

 the following species and especially germanica. In foreign countries it 

 has not become widespread and is largely confined to seaport towns. 

 In size it is larger than any of the other domestic species, and it is 

 light brown in color, the wings being usually long, powerful, and well 

 developed in both sexes. 



The Australian roach (JPeriplaneta australasise) resembles very 

 closely the last species, but differs strikingly in the brighter and more 

 definitely limited yellow band on the prothorax and in the yellow dash 

 on the sides of the upper wings (see fig. 3). In the United States it is 

 the most abundant and troublesome species in Florida and some of 

 the other Southern States. It is already practically cosmopolitan. 



The Oriental cockroach, or black beetle (Blatta orientalis), is 

 the common European and particularly the English species, and is 

 notable for the fact that the female is nearly wingless in the adult 



^The cockroach. — These are very troublesome and destructive vermin, and are 

 so numerous and voracious that it is impossible to keep Victuals of any kind from 

 being devoured by them without close covering. They are flat, and so thin that few 

 chests or boxes can exclude them. They eat not only leather, parchment, and woollen, 

 but linen and paper. They disappear in Winter and appear most numerous in the 

 hottest days in Summer. It is at night they commit their depredations, and bite 

 people in their beds, especially children's fingers that are greasy. They lay innumer- 

 able eggs, creeping into the holes of old walls and rubbish, where they lie torpid all 

 the Winter. Some have wings and others are without — perhaps of different Sexes. 

 (Catesby: Nat. Hist. Carolina, 1748, Vol. II, p. 10.) 

 [Cir. 51] 



