130 INSECT PESTS 



alone, even though they be chemically identical with 

 the vegetables that will support it. If this were not so 

 the tabloid lunch would be a " standing dish " in the 

 City to-day. But we human beings, Hke the rest of the 

 animal creation, are supported by the assimilation of 

 carbon, iron, salt, etc., and above all starch, so that calling 

 us a stiff-necked generation has more in it than meets the 

 eye. But we must have these things in a bulky and 

 vegetable form, meat of course and fish being merely a 

 transmuted vegetable. We require them bulky because 

 the walls of our stomach are not happy unless they are 

 distended, not to say gorged, although many a small 

 boy may have long views on that score. We also require 

 these things in a vegetable or other organic form because 

 we could not digest their equivalent off the chemist's shelf. 



It is clear then that it is the chlorophyll in aU plants, 

 except fungi, which enables the whole fauna or living 

 creatures on this earth to " carry on." Except fungi ! 

 That's just it, and as we saw in the beginning of Chapter III. 

 as regards insects, here we have another case of the obscure 

 and unnoticed parasite carrying on work which is vital 

 to our future and may be even shaping our destiny, for 

 fungi, containing no chlorophyll, are obliged to subsist 

 upon organic matter either living or dead. Those fungi 

 which feed upon deca3dng tissues really perform the 

 function of removing agents, for they transform them 

 once again into their original elements, but the fungi 

 which support themselves upon a living plant or animal 

 are inimical and therefore come under the head of pests 

 and diseases. These, as indicated above, are, without 

 appearing to do so, very often in control of the situation, 

 if not actually ruling the roost. 



We see, then, that fungi are a plant group which 

 stand quite by themselves, the species, through being 

 devoid of chlorophyll, being compelled to subsist either 

 upon another living organism or upon something which 

 has lived before. 



