CHAPTER III. 



THE COCKROACH. 



Periplaneta (Blatta) orientalis. 



THE Cockroach or " Black-beetle," though now tho- 

 roughly established in England and known only too well 

 as a household pest, is not a native of this country but of 

 tropical Asia. It was introduced here, probably in the 

 16th century, and following the lines of commerce has 

 now spread over the world. It is one of the most constant 

 pests on board ship where it is said to gnaw the skin and 

 toe-nails of the sailors. In some remote villages it is still 

 unknown, and even to the naturalist Gilbert White it was 

 in 1790 an " unusual insect." The nocturnal habits and 

 retiring disposition of the animal are familiar. Its flattened 

 and loosely jointed body is well suited for squeezing into 

 narrow chinks and crevices, and the sombre colouring 

 renders it the less conspicuous in its dark retreats. It 

 is now so completely associated with human dwellings 

 or places of industry, such as warehouses, dockyards, etc., 

 and so seldom found out of doors that it is difficult to 



