North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-02-15
TIE LncI1srs

! rvLnnd and from the DeL1tuGre riuer to the -5ise
! Ridge, IN May. 1851. 80
/ BY DOCTOR GIDEON B. SMITH.
In the whole range of natural history there is moth
ling more strange than the fact-which has been es-
tabished with much certainty as any fact In as
tronomy was-hat little insect not as large as
the smallest ant shall pass into the ground and re-
main there seventeen years, and then emerge In the
form of comparatively large insect; that GER
tain tribe of insects shall appear here IN immense
numbers-numbers almost equal to those OF the SANDS
on the shore-exactly once in seventeen years.
always in the same month, almost on the same day
and same hour. 1t is indeed wonderful but IS new
ertheess true. Another fact, equally strange IS that
there are numerous tribes of these insects. have
the particulars of twentyeight districts OF the nj
ted States, in each of which these insects appear
every seventeen years, but each district has diner
year for their appearance from that of any negh-
boring district. For example, the ocusts appeared
about Richmond and east of the Blue Ridge In VIZ
ginia, in 1s43, and will appear again in 1861. So
is the United States south OF latitude A deg
north of which have not yet heard OF their appear
ance. That they appear throughout the west have
no doubt, as far the shores of the Pacific have
the fact of their appearance at Independence, the
western limit of Missouri.
In some one part of the American territory, they
appear doubt every year. that is, they appear some
where every year. have only been able to get au-
thenc accounts of their appearance IN fourteen out
of the seventeen years. The other three years they
appear in the western wilds, without doubt But
that the progeny of the insects that appeared
here in 1884 will appear here again in 1851 there Is
no doubt They do not pass from one district to
another, but remain in their own district. Ihough
they fly, their flight is very short; from tree to
tree, some fifty or hundred yards is about as far as
they usually attempt to fly Very high winds ire
quently drive them to considerable distance, even
over rivers. Rivers and mountains are generally
boundaries of their districts. Though they will go
pretty we'll up to the sides of the mountains, they
rarely if reach the top, go over 1t and they
cannot fly over river the eighth OF mile vile. SILL
the whole country, now occupied only In seventeen
a. af ho m
every year, in consequence of theTmingling OF the
districts by the winds from one to another AS be-
fore stated, there now several places where the
insects of neighborng districts have coinmlngled,
alternately, &c. Who knows but that other insects
require also number of years for their existence,
though they now appear to be annual! The proge-
ny of that appeared several years ago coming up
this years and those OF another that appeared year
after coming mp next year, and so ON.
The habits of the ocusts as follows: BY shaw
ing off inch of the so from the LIST to the 10th
of April, any time before the Goth OF May, In any
place where &C., grew in 1884, you VIII open
the chambers OF the locusts. They look like half
inch auger holes. Dig down, and you will find one
locust in the hole. This hole or chamber is place
wherein he prepares himself for his final appearance
in the perfect state. During night, and In cold or
weather, he is at the bottom of the hole to IL
inches deep in the middle of the day he is at the
top evidently preparing to slough the shell or skim
The walls and top of the chamber are made water
|
About the Goth of May, day or two earlier or
later according the weather, they will begin to
leave the ground. You will their old she'll ad-
herring to the ba TX of tree or shrub. But few will
be found the first day, more the second, and SO
increasing in numbers till about the 9th of May,
when the greatest numbers will appear, and then in
less numbers thereafter till about the 9Th of June,
when more will leave the earth.
When they come up from the earth-always about
day light little before-they Immediately climb
the first object they meet with, tree, or bush, or
stake, any thing, two three feet They then lay
hold of the bark, fixing themselves firmly by their
claws and commence working themselves out Of their
old SHE'LL which is done by rupturing 1t on the back,
between the shoulders, and drawing themselves out.
AS they get fairly out they seize hold of the
old she'll with their claws, raise themselves, and be-
gin to expand their wings. Their bodies and wings
dt this time exceeding delicate, white and moist;
but few minutes exposure to the air dries and
hardens Them, that by the time the sun is fairly
risen, they are perfect, and can fly. The wings be-
fore soughing are beautifully folded up, and it is
beautiful sight see them unfolded, and in few
minutes changed from the most soft and delicate it's
sue, to the firm and rugged wing of the perfect in
sect. If it be wet or very cloudy day, they
very apt to perish in the operation OF soughing and
drying.
About the 18th of June they commence depositing
their eggs. This is very interesting sight. You
will attached a limb twig, and it will
not fly away as you approch. Look closely, and you
will see it excavating a hole in the limb with its
curious evi position. Watch it closely, and
it has inserted the evipositor completely into the
limb, take hold of the insect and gently but quickly
draw it forward, and apply the point of the cvpos-
tor to the palm of the other hand, when you will
two eggs elected into your hand in quick succession.
they deposit two eggs at each insertion OF the evil
Posltor, and generally five to ten pairs In each place
on the limb. She then goes to other places on the
same limb, or to some other limb, and repeats the
operation, till she has laid obout 400 eggs. The eggs
are white, or pearl color, about the 18th of inch
long, and about 9th thick they are long.
1t is this operation that destroys the small limbs the
excavations cutting off the sap vessels. The time
OF dePositing the eggs continues till about the Goth
OF June, when they cease.
From the 1st to Goth June, all shrubbery of value
should be protected either by carefully covering it
with cheap gauze, or in the of pot plants, by
Keeping them in the house.
About the 25th of July the eggs will be ready to
hatch. Then take limb containing them, cut
fully till you expose the eggs, and take them OUT
hatch in few minutes. The little insect frees itself
from the egg shell precisely in the way that the
large one did in the spring. by rupturng the shell on
his back. AS soon as he is fairly out of the shell
he starts off briskly in search of food. Let him get
to the ground and you will see him work his way
into 1t follow him, and you will see him attach him
self to the tender roots of grass other vegetables
and commence taking up the liquid exudation from
the surface with his little or snout. These
observations can only be made with good magnify
ing glass. About the 25th of June the old locusts
will have disappeared altogether. .sa !
The locusls do not go deep into the ground. They
live upon the vegetable juices of the the
surface, which they take with their shouts ros-
rum. There are three small hairs in the snout,
which, in feeding, projected and spread over
the surface OF the roots leaves of trees and these
collect the juice and convey by capillary attraction
to the stomach. You this operation very dis
tlncty IN the perfect insect, by watching it with