New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-25
SCIENTIFIC CONVENTION
AT ALBANY.
Annual Mectin. or the American Associate.
for the Advancement of science.

ieIday were yo,uw nous, bat The pepess rad 49,.
not Of general interest,". beng o. rlo-c s'rciy tee
meal character ,h4n ga tnv previous Jas
An interesting rar,l ou ihe sfihlc'. II ne >er,s.
tecn-year Locus was presented m the Section q
Natural History 5s ~ " / Barnett OF Boston A,
The habits and p,ro0a al appearances of thisdeslru
i've insect a'i-lct arse SIC Of ausnucr n.
paper viii % iolrl Wtl-.r.tel 10 sac discussion q
the question
POINTS ~ TIE ECONOMY o. tbs CICAb,
sEPrfNDtCia i>tNENrE&N YEAH 10
CI>T.-BE AIRING Upon TIE gIJRN
ORIGIN AND >pEr AL LOCAL CREATION
OF THE StENlL>.
rYrSw BrSNyrr. oF sosro~
Tie more We investigate ihc essential structure,
Of animals. and the more extensive oar SnoRief..
oftAciT habit, So Good ior, o AsinS. ne nose a..
one become impressed ~ 10 fae close lrlHicrs rte
iug between ihcm and their outward coalitions 4
lie Oug faith u sri a'a0'a l'y oi anfntS rra-r. a
L. The tNieruai a.tacir> ~ the Wort. is .essnsf
while our b.. Icf tnat ttr unison al ihrr lives a.,
these agencies Is NO, With thcm m sucr oi expsr
furc j. >freU-tEC caryia. l.'II ,iS of tao.
conditions has led some q believe in ne pa.
creation II thc separate faunas m IN, .ocsius, /,
which trcN are foru.. In q com'rtat lf.tr az
published sCwt same >incc, froi N.t,>i has ,rsstl
the various phase. vr.e. hic4 in> cues ION mar !.
considered. and iu I mas Dr found rNc,ufat 49,
for the particular CREATOR ~ sr.h fanas AMI - r
mutaliy thrCcCh Any PERIOD oi time ggts
ton allied % tn. bat hAscd upon diictrnt. tui
II pf
primitive numbers of cart species IN iAis Rc al.
10 our aid Emnrfoio-y AM it> .ilCd bitls Pc
the influences which cl'iIt.ion D., " Has 70 ea
directly AMI Indirectly u1on me RATIO OF mortal III n
animal htc. ar'~ri mu,h the validity OF onf coacr.
SONS Nevertheless The Geugrsl trau. u' Az ,l n rs
cuiri,s = 10 snow tlat ihe number oft sach ,pe %,
must ha,t been pretty near That which We hnt Ia PSI
natural and urcistrrfri state, instead al a snfr
palr as OihcTw isc NftNct Ia a bel, tHty, tie uana
/ relations Of whtch to aufns ltc have NOT been ls
I turbtd los the aNeu.' c> ~ man, W. have angh D
infer that the cNIs'lng state ot destructive clcmc
OF hfc "a itir expression ot the past. and also Cd
the present rate Of The uaitsIN of a>'scss b. ga
/ To which L ha> been ,lo oc.cd dnnus past times
conceive ihai 10 Ne cannot infer ms, when a.
/ have no evidence at any chanSt, M ne geaefl
ecouom, of Ntiur, st tai locality, Ne cannot int,
/ ANYTHING OF tat goologIcA condition oi ne PAT
BESIDES the comparatively limited term 81 humr
l c1pcucncC ustlnCs such view. Which has also g.
/ more worthy ground ~ support IN The cumpansono
I the aumais ftrunciN VITA Il, natural liabilities
! mortality. n. in term at human experience OF oas
hundred or thousand years the natural proh IN 4
aUy well known spstIc> onls Keep, pace With T. ~
lstiye MORTALITY - that The number oi that ste, 70
at the end of hat tme is about The same, u sse1
/ difficult 20 con pIehcnd Low even with species
/ limited numbers. that The same power oi pfolcU
could enable q single par 10 reach TIE lfe eni nun
hcTs under an, "a NIX climate ~ the 'ukh
Were 70 SO, Ne should EXPECT o. find very couet
ratio >ubsi>tng between the present NUMBERS oi nY
uudisturbcd specie, ar1 Is powers of rcproducnca
Bur since attention has been called 10 The SUBJECT AZ.
with many OF the i0a,r animals, the o'a coun'st
not only Is there uo reason for supioshg thN sia
relation h present but IN many instances ne Te1
opposite l. tluc-aiact u the truth OF winch haze
have lately been the more AMI more cons inced ifca
counting he oNa Of many INSECTS ADD comparing No
result with their well known habits aud conditions oi
lie.
! The value. however ~ such BIOLOGICAL phenoaema
/ bearing as they 81 against the Ordinary opnon u
the primitive condition oi animal lite, Inke dfefent
minds with different force. according 10 The strength
the tenure Of these prcconceNcd views may have on
/ their minds There are example IN which thete AZ
pears no escape nom conclusions OF ihls character
Aud although might detail many taken trom ne
| ranks of lower animals, Yet nom ~ well mafsi
| character. and recent occurrence select That tl
nished IN the sosonicenycM Locust A. the subject
I OF this paper.
The pses.nt wear us5l NAV De- noted A, containing
an episode Of Insect life of morc than ordinary %,
nary interest and value. for IN 70 has occurred ~
grand appearance at the Locust the foo.ehA
value of such an event, deem very great, and more
| especially 80 because since their last appenNff
many changes IN our views OF animal life have t'"a
place $500.
| insect appears ~ the end ~ interval ~ " Yets
/ Il well known ga science Justly does ~ excite on
/ astonishmcnt that the conditions of ~ ecOnpni
| should be 81 unique. Duung the last two oT ihss
times Of it, appearance, lts habits and peculrts
| Of life were quite thoroughly investigated hsei
not therefore allude 10 them. except 81 far - iAs
/ touch our subject
witness their grand appearance m the interior
Pennsy lyania. They came forth IN their usual al
/ almost incredible numbers, ami hne opp"nnhV
| was gwen me To- learn something about their coat
| tlOns of life. The insect appears M us perieid
! i,nagO condition simply for the preservation oi =
species MS period of life IN this state ~ ihsrsf
quite brief Both male and female % about MI
/ functions Immediately on escaping thc Garth, NH
which they die. Their existence is ih'gr'Ofc aimof
entirely suttorTarcan, and, considering me depilN
which they descend, Almost a. lsolsied from ~
agencies o. civilization as those OF NE tenants OF 10
ocean.
/ II appeared evident, from whr .aw of theuno''
! mentS, that. unless swept away bY gocut fufnriA
| they remain generally ~ The locality of their Dfa.
80 that The COmers OF THIS year may properly b. si
10 be- the linear descendants of those "hich there AZ
peared nifty or more years since. Tbs = inpon1h
as 10 our determining whether or not they feaiy N
crease IN number
made str,ct inquiries of several men whO had VI
messed this their fourth appearance through the 'am
tract Of country and their replies always were iaAi
they did not think then numbers 20 vary mabnAA
either way. Being men of sense and farmers
thought them able 20 de OF tins matter sln'e h'f
regarded the rayages Of tins insect with no comn'n
eye. We viii DOw look A little 10 ~ powers o. ~
production.
The female has about 500 eggs, winch from ccrlt1
relations Of the other sex, which ! have male o.
mlcrOscopicaly, axe, PROBABLY all or nearly All
cundated We have then, for every two indyiduD
which have appeared this year, deposit OF @osm.
bryOs, for the generation TO appear seventeen yea"
hence.
/ Now from what has Just been stated about iH
uniformity OF their NUMBERS each time, u apes
that from the liabilities OF destruction during the ioN
term Of seventeen years, out Oi these 800 emOy"
only two appear certain Of life and appearance
their perfect state that n, Just replacing me ~
parents The chances of lie therefore, win w.
insect are IN round numbers, two IN 1--WE hnndies
I THIS calculation may seem strange 10 some Do
We reflect, It can scarcely be otherwise fof ~
pose the chances double. that II, 10 300 NJ
We should have At each time Just double The n1ihDs
/ OF their last time. which observation mas siD"h
. be untrue, and which would ausur much EN- iof "
future condition Of the vegetable world ~ the oc@.
/ ties Of Their appearance. III
Even # their chances were three 10 ave h0haf'1
or half again the original stock, agncuilulsts wv
] quickly perceive the difference.
To sum I'D the matter. then. We have here an >
{ sect whose economy and conditions Of iIie arc
unique that D. Is almost entirely isolated from nun"
destructive agencies, and which Is Obliged 70 %
/ COST 500 chances for the certainty Of secunHsND
| The oyares have teen formed Nl,h this caPaeH,
and the whole internal economy IS OF c)ffe'p"~'
/ iug character