Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-07-13
tFrom the Albany Evening JournaEj ;

s33a tFrom the Albany Evening JournaE e
Itis not . little singular, that, al.
though their period Of return is as cer'
tain and as easily calculated 40 any
astrono nomical fact, yet very few persons
really know anything Of their habits,
either above or below the surface Of the
earth, and il is yet, in the nevspape,
world, an unsettled question whether it
is fact that, they do complete their
period in precisely seventeen years. !
think that the cause for any doubt that
may exist relative to this fact exists in
the correlative fact that there, are sew
eral families Of the same people, one
Of which made its appearance in East
ern New York and New Jersey in the
summer Of 1843, and is now, 81 that
iinvariable law ofits being, again pres
snt, extending along the counties on the
west bank Of the Hudson, but in no
case crossing the river, unless by the
accident Of winds, . few struggling fe-
males might have been carried over, in
which case, if their eggs were deposited
in twigs on the east side, q correspond
ing number Of locusts would this year
be making their appearance in the same
localities. aiL Ii e74~ sih }a sfatfe
The male and female Of our locust
each possess individual points Of inter-
est, very dissimilar, but each worthy Of
the observation Of those who take inter-
est in the wonders Of nature. It is the
male only who sings, as it. is called,
but which is more properly termed
drums as the noise which is produced
by them, and which it is worth q long
ride to hear, where they are numerous,
is produced by muscular action upon
two drums, one placed under each wing.
By singular construction Of its pect
oral muscles q single full-sized male is
capable Of producing tones that can be
distinguished for nearly one-fourth Of
Q mile; and ! remember an instance,
when riding with q friend by wood
where they were unusually numerous,
that We were compelled to raise our
voices, and then with but difficulty
could hear each others conversation.
When the insect is sitting on con-
venient twig, the action of these drums
can be examined, with or without q
magnifer, and the volume Of tone and
Of vibration which the specta-
tor is thus enabled to witness, cannot
fail to excite his wonder.
But it is the female, from the singu-
larity Of her construction, as an illus
tration Of the wonderful adaptation Of
means to an end which nature some
times gives Us, and from the destruction
which she causes to young fruit and
ornamental trees, that demands tho
more careful examination. And here
it may be observed, parenthetically,
that the main object Of the appearance
Of these creatures above ground, is the
perpetustion Of their species. Their
life is exclusively subterranean. Above
ground they never eat. Neither male
nor female have any mouth, nor am !
sure that they have an oriice of any
kind in their head, although am quite
confident that they breathe in the usual
way. So the common theory that they
suck the juices from the leaves of trees,
and thus destroy the latter, is but q
common and popular fallacy, as isalso
the theory Of the sting. No such ma
lignant weapon exists in either male or
female. as' .'.- % i'''.' .'-' ''' A'1''3 ''-'
When the proper period arrives, the
female proceeds to discharge her great
duty to posterity, which ftly closes .
life which had but one object. She
chooses 8 tender twig, preferring one
Of recent growth always, and when it
can b. procured, q limb Of young cher
y, peach or apple is preferred to either
of tie forest trees and Of the latter |;
maple = chosen before oak or walnut.
Pine they have never toueheds solfar
as my observation goes, nor will they
likely be found, TO any extent st least,
"a Tie sandy soils or pine hills lying to
The norths and west Of this city. Before
depositing her eggsshB makes her nest,
ana carefully lines It with aTsoftl cash
ion for the reception Of the eggs; which
are deposited aspnssrly az possible 20
the centre Of the, twig., To accomplish
this shs usss both gimBlet ahd chissi,
which nature's God has given hsrr, e NOS most
wonderfully adaptedlta the purpcss.-
Take her up carefully y-she 10 perfect
ly yharmless-and you will find proceed
ing from her abdominal rings an ap-