[Illustration]
"I send you the photograph of an extraordinarily curious insect: I am
not prepared to say whether it is an insect or some kind of organism. I
can only say that it is alive and lives on red lead. The lady in whose
possession it is has had it for upwards of eighteen years, and who knows
how many years of life it had before? It is covered with light brown
hair (which has to be cut occasionally), very like deer's hair, and is
the size of a large marble. The 'curious insect' was given to the lady's
husband by a rich native who gave up all his worldly possessions and
became a fakir. When giving it to the gentleman (who had shown the man
some kindness) he said that it would always bring him good luck."--Mr.
T. G. A. Baness, Hall Bazaar, Amritsur, Punjab.