Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-02-15
THE SEVENTEEN YEAR LocUsTs.

According 10 the prosnostica,ion oil 'hose
acquainted with the subject, we are to nave,
during the coming summer, in ih's v's''a',0"
of The seventeen year locusis. The following
from an article by DR.. Gideon B. Smi'h oil
Baltimore, OH the subject, is curious ana III
teresting
in The whole range of natural history there
!. nothing more strange than the iac',-Which
has been established with as much certainty
.any fact in astronomy ever was,-'ha'
ltle insec, not as large as the smallest ant
shall pass into the ground and remain there
seventeen wears and emelgc in the form OF
comparatvey large insect or, that certain
tribe of insects shall appear here in immense
pnmbers-numbers almost equal to those OF
The sands on the sea shore-exactly once in
,eventeen years, always in the same month,
almost on the same day and same hour. 1t
isindeed wonderful, bu, ii is nevertheless true
Another fact, equally strange, is that there are
numerous tribes of these insects. have Inc
particulars Of iveuty.eight districts IN the
United States, in each of which these insects
appear every seventeen years but each DIS
trict has a different year for their appearances
from that of any neghboring district. For
example. The iocusls appeared about kichnohu
and eas, of the Blue Ridge, in Virginia, IN
ls43. and will appear there again IN iooo
yb;,a nm the ives, of the Blue Ridge they ap-
reared in 1874, and will appear again IN lool'
So if is over the whole of the United States,
sou,h of latitude A deg; north OF which
have no, vet heard Of their appearance.--
That they appear throughout the west have
M donht as far as the shores of the Pacific.
have the fact of their appearance at lnde-
pendance. the western limit of Missouri. in
some one par, of the American territory, they
appear no doubt every year that is, they ap-
pear some where every year.
have only been able to get authentic ac-
counts of their appearance in fourteen out OF
seventeen years. The other three years 'hey
appear in the western wilds, without doubt.
Bnt that the progeny OF the same insects
that appeared here in 1884, will appear here
in 1851, there is no doubt. They do not pass
from one district TO another, but remain IN
their own district. Though they can Jty,
their flight is very short from tree to tree,
some tifty or a hundred yards is about as iar
as they usually attempt 10 fly. Very high
winds frequently drive them TO a considera'
BILE distance, even over rivers. Rivers and
mountains are generally boundaries OF ,hei
districts Though they will 90 pretty wei
up the sides of the mountains, they rarely
ever reach the top, or 60 over 1t and they
cannot fly over river the eighth OF mil'
wide. Still, the whole country, now occupied
only once in seventeen years, will IN th'
course of time be visited by them every yea
in consequence Of the mingling of the dis
,iicts oy the insects being waited by III
winds from one TO another. AS before state'
there are now several places where the III
sect of neiahboring districts have commm
aed causing their appearance every eleh
and nine years alternately, &c. Who know
but that other insects require also numoe
of years for their existence, though they nov
appear 10 be annual The progeny of one
that appeared several years ago coming u
this wear and those of another that appear
ed wear after coming up next year, and
on.
The habits of the locust are as follows
By shaving off an inch soil, from the lst |
the 10Th of April, or any time before the POI
of May, in any place where trees, &c, gre'
in 1884, you will open the chambers OF tn
locus,s They look like half inch auge
holes Dig down, and you will find one l.
Gust in the hole. This hole or chamber is
place wherein he prepares himself for h
final appearance in The perfect state Durln
ninht, and in cold or wet weather. he is ;
the bottom of the hole, 10 - inches deep
in the middle of the day he is al the top, e'
identity preparing 10 slough the shell OF ski
The walls and top of the chamber are mad
wafer proof by peculiar viscid humour.-
About the Goth day of May, day or two Ii
ter or earlier, according to the weather, the
will begin 10 leave the ground, lon WI
see their o.d shell adhe ring 10 the bark oil
tree or shrub. But few will be found tn
Grst dav, more the second, and so on, IL
-reasing in numbers ill about The 9TH of Ma
when the greatest number will appear, an
then in less numbers thereafter till about III
5lh Of June, when no more will leave ii
earth.
When they come up from the earth-a
ways about day light or little belore--the
Immediately climb the first object they me
with, tree, or bush, or stake, any thing tV
or three feet. They then lay hold OF the ba
fixing themselves firmly by their claws, al
commence working themselves out OF the
old shell, which is done by rupturing 1t
the back, between the shoulders and dra'
ing themselves out. AS soon as they
fairly oct, they seize hold of The old sh'
with their claws, raise themselves, and beg
to expand their wings. Their bodies a
wings at this time are exceedingly dellca
white, and moist, but few minutes ext
sure to the air dries and hardens them,