Somewhere I read that woodlice have more vernacular names than any other
creature; a curious fact if true but it wasn't backed up with examples.
My grandmother called them 'grampha-gravies' or just 'gramphas' [sp.?]
which has some resemblance to the wonderful 'grammarsow' used by
W.S.Graham. Cornish or Scottish in either case? Other names, anyone?
Alan Halsey
In message <01be8fcb$7573a9c0$LocalHost@default>, pain
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>I must say I like Richard's weather reports and accounts of his garden.
>Actually I am quite envious of him, because outside I have a rectangle sheet
>of green plastic which might from a great distance, say a satellite, be
>taken for a lawn. In summer it lets off a gas. The only life forms I have
>seen in the garden aside from the neighbours cats, have been centipedes with
>long feathery legs which can run at an infinitely fast speed, and woodlice,
>seven thousand million cousins removed from trilobites. With no birds or
>mammals around, I have taken up the hobby of woodlouse watching. Something
>which can be done from the comfort of your desk.
>These tiny creatures don't get up too much, so it gives you plenty of time
>to think of other things. Indeed I spend most of my time thinking of other
>things. But there are those "Woodies" who will take you to quiet
>corner --maybe a damp one -- and inform you that like some humans, the
>common garden woodlouse does not have a lengthy courtship --around five
>minutes--
>the male waves his antennae (no Radio 3 subtext here) and if he finds a
>receptive female he rests his antennae on her --if she hasn't run off -- and
>then -- licks her head and taps her on the back with his front legs --and
>then we proceed to the act . It is a little different from humans as sperm
>transfer is reversed, and the the female has openings on the left and right
>side. Some lucky(?) species can reproduce without males, this is known as
>parthenogenesis. I could give, for those interested parties, an unexpurgated
>account of what woodlice are doing in my garden. This has led me away from
>the topic. a suggestion of mine.
>That we have a British-poets mailbase archive of one wav file of each
>poet/writer on the list reading one of their poems. Is that technically
>possible? is it of any interest at all? Or has it aready happened?
>
>Yours
>
>Stephen
>Who is this moment considering writing an "Ode to a Woodlouse"dedicated to
>Dr.A. Comfort
>
>Many Happy Returns to Richard's Father!
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