No, May, they do not fly very much. You see this one has short wings. It
is a male cockroach. The female of this species of cockroach has no
wings at all, only little hints of wings, as it were.
Such little useless wings we call "rudimentary" wings.
John says he thinks that is a long word for short wings.
Yes, but it is not a hard word,--ru-di-ment-ary, see if you can remember
it.
The croton bugs have longer wings and they sometimes fly.
If you were to spread out the wings of a cockroach, you would find it
had four.
What is that, May? You wouldn't spread them out for anything?
Yet wise men have been very much interested in our poor, ill-smelling
old cockroaches, and have studied carefully all about them.
[Illustration]
If you dislike to touch the cockroach so much, perhaps you will look at
this picture of a croton bug.
See, the upper wings are different; the cockroach does not fly with
them, he merely uses them to cover up the under wings, and we call them
wing covers.
It is the under wings the cockroach flies with.
Cockroaches may not be pleasant, but who can say they are not
interesting?
What other insect lays its eggs in little bandboxes?
Here is one of the little boxes, shiny and hard.
[Illustration]
This little case is at first a sticky substance that soon hardens. The
eggs lie in it side by side in two rows.
These cases remain attached to the abdomen of the female cockroach until
the eggs are all laid. Then the case falls off, and soon out runs a
crowd of infant cockroaches.
[Illustration]
The case is something like a satchel that shuts with a spring. The
youngsters are packed close together, side by side, with their heads
towards the mouth of the satchel.
As soon as one hatches it pushes open the side of the case and creeps
out. Then the case springs together again to protect the rest of the
brood.
They are funny fellows when they first come out, little and
white-looking. But they eat and grow of course, and shed their skins,
and after each moult they become darker in color.
Now, do look again at this cockroach I have taken such pains to catch
for you and put into the tumbler.
I think even May will own that it has a cunning little head.
See it turn its head around to look at us.
After all, the cockroach is a knowing little fellow.
This one is hungry; it has had nothing to eat for some time. We will
give it this crumb of cake.
Be careful, or it will get away; it can run very fast, and it is very
quick, you see, in all its motions.
Ah, it is examining the crumb with the tips of its long antennae.
See how daintily it touches the crumb.
It can smell with its antennae, you know.
Now it has decided the cake is good to eat.
See how eager it is!
[Illustration]
It almost stands on its head to reach just the part it wants.
John says he does not understand how insects smell with their antennae.
I can tell you a little about it, John.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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