VIII. 3 

 SKULKERS IN DRY FOOD MATERIALS 



OF all the means which the lesser creatures have un- 

 consciously employed in insinuating themselves into new 

 countries none has found greater favour than concealment 

 in food materials, and none has added greater numbers and 

 variety of animal life to our fauna. Most of the creatures 

 thus imported are small in size, and although practically all 

 of them belong to the groups of Insects or of Mites, it is sur- 

 prising under how many different guises they come. Many 

 lurk amongst grain, a few in flour, some hide in tunnels of 

 their own making in biscuits, others in holes drilled in peas, 

 some are concealed amongst sugar, others amongst copra or 

 the seeds of cotton. The secret of these preferences lies in 

 the simple fact that some of our food materials happen to 

 be theirs also, so that these lesser things, each engrossed 

 in feeding on its own particular food, are carried wheresoever 

 the food material goes. But the very fact that they come in 

 secret and hiding, makes it almost impossible to trace their 

 dispersal in countries where international commerce has long 

 held sway. 



Foremost amongst these passive immigrants, by reason 

 of their ancient naturalization, are the Common Cockroach 

 and the House Cricket, two Orthopterous insects. 



THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH 



The latter, Gryllus (Acketa) domesticus, is by repute 

 an introduction to Britain, but so long is it since com- 

 merce carried it over the world that even its original home 

 cannot now be traced. Two deductions may, however, be 

 made from its habits ; first, that it is no native of Britain, 

 else why should it exist only in the warmest corners of houses ? 

 In Scotland at the present day, it seldom occurs even in 

 kitchens, but is often found about bake-houses in Edinburgh, 

 Glasgow, Paisley, Dumfries and other towns. Occasionally 



