NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



187 



TARANTULA. 



RED-WINGED LOCUST. 

 HERCULES BEETLE. 



night, when the collector stalks the loudest singers, and by 

 approaching within definite investigating distance, can ac- 

 curately locate the insects by bringing into use an electric 

 flash-lamp. The glare of the light usually causes the insect 

 to stop its calls, but it remains motionless upon a branch or 

 leaf and may be grasped with a delicate pair of forceps, 

 provided the movements of the collector's arm are performed 

 outside the rays of light. If the locust has become silent 

 and cannot be detected when the light is thrown upon it, 

 the collector simply switches off the light and remains 

 quiet. In a few minutes the creature continues its song, 

 when its exact location is again determined. In this way 

 the night songsters of a big meadow are collected, one by 

 one, and the collector leaves behind him a silent field that a 

 few hours before resounded with the stridulations of the 

 insect chorus. 



Among the more interesting insects exhibited, in our 

 series are to be found the walking-stick, the praying mantis, 

 the huge red-winged locust of the South, the Egyptian 

 scarab, the luminous beetle of Central and South Americn. 

 and broods of silk worm. The life history of the mosquito 

 will be permanently illustrated in a series of tanks, and ad- 

 joining tf ese an exhibit of natural enemies of these pests. 



Tne insect collection is supplied with interesting descrip- 

 tive labels. During the latter part of spring it is removed 

 from the Reptile House, where, during the winter the num- 

 ber of its cages are much reduced, and replaced in the 

 quarters occupied during the summer. 



