Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-07-01

"loe,ist year. In from three 10 five da
after deposiiing the eggs, The %iefnale die
The male dies a day or two spunaf. Tbs
always select living waud in which 10 d
posite The eggs. They are mol pattieuIi
that they generally avoid all Teaelinth1
nate traes. such "a pines, etc, In six c
seven weeks after their egns are det,osite
as above, they hatch the little insect
ufsFpiHg Out of the on carations, fall 10 Il,
ground, and Immediately enter the cart
IN searel, Of food, attaching themselves [
the teiaef radicals of grass nr other yege
table growths, aud feeding oh tho eAuda
ton from their surfntes. They hav We n,
other mode Of feeding. They have I
trunk or protocols with three cnpillaties o
laifs, which they extend over the %slrfnet
es the roots, and nnsrely take up the exu
dation above mentioned and this ia theil
only food at any period OF their lives.
Even the full grown insect takes lfs food
IN the same way. The young insect il
so small il can scarcely be seen with The
naked eye.. After having descended into
the ground they remain thafe until their
advent, seventeen years afterwards. The
locust is gfeed,ly sought after by all sorts
Of fowls aud birds and hogs, from the
time they frat leave the ground; and The
young insect il pursued with equal avidity
by rats and other devouter oil insects AZ
o as they leave The egg.
II ought to he stated that tliis insect il
not properly called d locust. There il an
insect oil mn entirely different character,
that has borne that name for some thou.
sands Of years, viz tho Esvptian locust,
and several insects Of the sn inc genus.
The locust, properly 30 enlled1 IL n grass.
hopper, resembling our large grasshuppers
IN all respects. Our locust possesses not
one feature belonging 10 tho true locust.
How ridiculous II is, Then, for liz to give n
name to an insect that has been appfopri.
ated 10 nh entirely different one for ages
Tho proper name for our insect is tttttgo.
itca septrndtttm. As 1t is unuuestlopably
The most interesting insect Of The world, or
at.least Tint has YET been discovered. |
think we should give il a new name, and
not intfude It upon II company where it
cannot by any possibility be a welcome
guest, and wherein Ii loses all the claims
TO distinction that liz NATURAL character il
entitled IL.
1t Is not possible 10 give a full descrip.
ton of the insect ina newspaper. without
the aid of drawings. II Is n very curious
insect in many respects. Az to its peeu.
character, requiring seventeen years
Tar ito maturity, Can say nothing. So
|ar as ! know, and | have taken great
,ains to inform myself, this is peculiar to
his insect. Natnrallsis make no mention
IF any other with n %sii1iluf habit. Then,
gain, as 10 Its appealing In families or
communities in different parts Of the epuii.
ny i'll different years. How wonderfully
Is This. How ean Ii le Accounted
OF ! Dare We presume 10 explain ii I. That
I is SO, Ihnop, and NIL may know by II lit.
lie attention TO tho H%Dbjset.
Ii will be seen that have Indicated Tho
o~calitios eli sixteen distinct districts of
he country Fin which these Insects appear.
I'd in different years, or if any. Two or
IN tho same year, widely separated
each othet and | have nt doubt
here are others that | have not vet disco.
cred, sufficient 10 cause the advent Of !,
he insect III some potion Of tile continent !
very year. have often thought il was
most beautiful natural emblem Of our !
publican institutions, OF rati1er a natural ;
ndleation Of the p~etuliat political eeoEra. !
hieal divisions into which our nation ,
toald be and is paftIijoned. II hits often
cen suggested that The difference Of eli. {
Iate was the cause Of their appearing ut
10 south nj one time and at the north at Z
bat this carnot be 50, because y
ley appenf tile santo gear IN Maryland !
nd Pennsylvania, and In Mississippi, in !
massachusetts, aud Kentucky; in Georgia /
I'D Illinois, hut ] must hnyo fatighud /
9th you and Your teaders by this tedious I
Should uny Of your renders dc. q
re n more perfect noeount Of this extra. '
insect, ! can send them II pam. !
published in 1884, witt. II rIale 70. :
fesenting the insect in all its stages of {
siste nice, the price Of which, owing to
le cost Of the plate, Is one dollar for tp0 o
pics which should be sen, free Of post. t
70 BY applicants. u
VIII editors and pbstmasters do ME the !
tvor Of informing me Of the appearance :
! tho locust, whenever or WHEREVER II r
appear # all Will do So, it will Y
me to inform the public of the ex- l.
Il time of their appearance, and of the c
of districts and their boundaries. e
GIDEON B. SMITH, NJ. d. $