The southern press., 1851-03-29

4
AmERyoAx Locusr, CcApA SEPTEMDEcIM.---
The habits Of the locust are as follows; by
shaving Of an inch of the soil, from the lst to
the 10th Of April, or any time before the 20!h
Of May, In any place where trees, Nc., grew IN
1884, you will open the chambers OF the locusts.
They look like half inch augur holes. Dig
down, and you will find one locust in the hole.
This hole or chamber is a place wherein he pre-
pares himself for his final appearance in the per-
feet state. During night, and in cold or wet
weather, he is ut the bottom OF the hole to ~
inches deep in the middle of the day heIs at the
top, and evidently preparing to slough the shell
or skin. The walls and top OF the chamber are
made water proof by a peculiar viscid hnmor.
About the 2Oth Of May, day or two earlier
or later, according to the weather, they will be-
gin to leave the ground You will see their
old shell adhering to the bark of tree or
shrub. But few will be found the first day,
more the second, and SO on, increasing in num-
bers till the 9th of May, when the greatest
numbers will appear, aud then in less numbers
thereafter till about the 5th of Juue, when no
more will leave the earth.
When they come up from the earth--aways
about daylight or a little before-they climb
the first object they meet WITH tree, or bush,
or stake, anything, two or three feet They
then lay hold Of the bark, fixing themselves
| firmly by their claws, and commence working
themselves out of their old shell, which is done
by rupturing it on the back, between the should
ers, and drawing themselves out. AS soon as
they get fairly ou, they seize hold of the old shell
with their claws, raise themselves, and begin to
expand their wings. Their bodies and wings
at this time are exceedingly delicate, white and
moist; but a few minutes exposure to the air
| dries and hardens them, so that by the time the
sun is fairly risen they are perfect and can fly.
The wings before sloughng are beautifully
folded up, and it is a beautiful sight to see
them unfolded, and in few minutes change
| from the most soft to the firm and rigid wing of
| a perfect insect. If it be a wet or very cloudy
day, they are very apt to perish i'll the act OF
sloughing and drying,
| Though they can fly, their flight is very short
| from tree to tree, some fifty or a hundred yards
is about as far as they usually attempt to fly.
| Very high winds frequently drive them to con-
siderable distance, even over rivers. Rivers and
mountains are generally the boundaries Of their
districts.
| AS before stated, there are now several places
where the insects of neighboring districts have
comingled, causing their appearance every
eight and nine years alternately, &c. Who
knows that but other insects require also
a number of years for their existence, though
they now appear to be annuals The progeny
of one that appeared several years ago coming
! up this year; and those of another that APP
peared year after coming up next year and
so on.
The depositing of the eggs of the insect is a
very interesting sight You will see one at
tached to limb or twiy, and it will not fly
away as you asprosch. Look closely and you
hoIo int itc
curious ovipositor Watch it closely, and as
soon as it has inserted the ovipostor completely
into the limb, take hold of the insect and gently
but quickly draw it forwards, and apply the
point Of the ovipostor to the palm'of the other
hand, when you will see two eggs elected into
your hand in quick succession. They deposit
two eggs at each insertion of the ovipostor,
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 about 400 eggs.
| The eggs are white, or pearl color, about the
10Th of an inch long, and about one-6,h as
thick as they are long 1t is this operation that
DESTROYS the small limbs, the excavations cutting
off the sap vessels The time of deposting
the eggs continues till about the goth Of June,
when they cease. All kinds of trees and shrubs
are selected by them for their deposits, except
pines or other turpentine trees They do not
seem to select the hardest nor the most soft
wood, but that which is about the size of their
bodies or less, seems to be chosen; the opera
ton requiring them to grasp the sides of the
limb with their claws, which they could not do
80 well if the limbs were large. By grasping
firmly with their claws, they are able to make
great pressure upon the point of the ov positor,
and thus effect their object.
~. g IL Al 1t.
Gust are ready to hatch Then take limb con-
tanning them, cut carefully till you expose the
eggs, and take them out, place them in the palm
Of the hand, and they will hatch in few mo-
ments The little insect frees himself from the
egg shell precisely in the same way that the
large one did in spring, by rupturing the shell
on the 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 it; follow him, and you
will see him attach himself to the tender roots
Of grass or other vegetables, and commence
taking up the liquid eyudation from the surface
with his little rostrum or snout These OBJ
servatons can only be made with good mag
nifying glass. BY the aid Of the glass You
will see the young insect has every feature and
member precisely the same as the large one had
when he came from the ground in the spring
By carefully watching you will see the young
insect coming out of the excavations Of the
limbs, and falling to the ground. You can
sometimes see great numbers falling from high
trees They are like little moats in the air,
and require sharp eyes to see them They are
so small, and their apparent specific gravity so
inferior that they are not injured by the fall.
LONGITUDE OF SAVANNAH. teegraphic
recently been employed by the officers on the
coast survey, in ascertaining the difference of
longitude Of the two cities. They have erected
temporary observatory at The latter place, to
which is attached a clock, with Professor Locke's
apparatus for breaking the circuit of the electric
fluid. The circnit is broken at each beat of the
pendulum, which enables the observers at
Charleston to hear the strokes of the seconds
as distinctly as though they were by the side of
the clock in Savannah. These beats are recorded
by register similar to that used in telegrapbing