Short Papers and Notes. 169 
suffice to tell of the tribes of moths, from the giant Atlas to the 
silvery gem bordered with vermilion; of locust-fights that give 
new reality to the stories of the Pentateuch ; of crickets which seem 
to have strayed from the English hearth or the crevices of kitchen- 
walls ; of big bouncing things, half-cricket, half-grasshopper ; of 
insects of which no man can distinguish head from tail ; and of ten 
thousand creatures, unnamed, unclassified, to whom it seems 
indifferent whether they run, or hop, or walk, or fly, and who, to the 
embarrassment of mankind, seem ever undecided which to do. 
‘thectograph Sbeets. 
Soak 4 parts of best white glue in a mixture of 5 parts of 
water, and 3 parts of solution ammonia, until the glue is soft. 
Warm the mixture until the glue is dissolved, and add 3 parts of 
granulated sugar, and 8 parts of glycerine, stirring well, and letting 
come to the boiling point. While hot, paint it on white blotting 
paper with a broad copying brush, until the paper is thoroughly 
soaked, and a thin coating remains on the surface. Allow it to 
dry for two or three days, and it is then ready for use. An aniline 
ink should be used for writing, and before transferring to the blot- 
ting paper, wet the latter with a damp sponge, and allowit to stand 
one or two minutes. Then proceed to make copies in the usual 
way. If the sheets are laid aside for two days, the old writing 
sinks in and does not require to be washed off. 
Chemist and Druggist. 
Destruction Wrought by Fnsects in America, 
The annual loss to productive industries in the United States 
caused by insects, is estimated at $150,000,000 (£ 30,000,000). 
There is a fair battle between man and another sort of earth 
occupiers. They are smaller, but if they can whip us, have 
undoubtedly as good a right to the world as we have. As civiliza- 
tion advances, new insects make their appearance, marching some- 
times eastward, but generally westward. There are few, if any, 
forms of vegetation that have no parasites, which devour either 
foliage or fruit. The loss to the cotton crop is estimated at $15, 
000,000 (£3,000,000) a year, while that to the apple crop is not 
much less, and that to the potato crop at least one-half as much. 
But the estimate is not a fair one until to the loss is counted the 
time spent in fighting to secure the proportion that is saved. 
Scientific American, 
Vol. III. 9—9 
