The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1865-11-08
A Yltiated Atmosphere.


Reading our foreign newspapers, one
might almost think every living thing in
western Europe was in danger of being
swept away by disease. Animals, both wild
and domestic, die suddenly, as though al
fected by poison, and the same is true OF
birds, while the atmosphere in some places
swarms with uoisome insects We clip a
few items, as follows:
"The northern departments OF France are
at this moment suffering from pest which
to them is about as disastrous as an invas>
ion Of locusts in southern la,itudes Vast
and innumerable swarms OF lepidopierous
insects. belonging 10 the family OF Noctaide,
will settle down on field OF beet, and not
leave il as long as there is still fibre Of the
root LEFT. Fire, acids, and every other pow
erful agent, have been tried against Them in
vain; notwithstanding toll and care, the in
sect mutiples to an alarming degree, SO as
10 threaten the total destruction OF beet, en-
dive, and cabbages, fortunately the only
vegatbes il chooses 10 attack"
A Scotch paper has received the follow
ing from a correspondent.
'On the morning of Saturday last the air
in and around Hawick for many miles was
filled with a small fy,s little larger than our
common meadow midge. So dense was
the cloud of insects that passengers conli
only preven: their mouths and eyes from
being filed by keeping up constant pro-
cess of tanning. Ga Sunday the nuisance
remained undated and church-goers miglt
be seen in the lobbiss before entering their
! pews brushing The insects from their gar
ments as they would snow-hakes on a win
ter's day. When seen through common
microscope, the animal presents very
strange appearance, resem bling a small bird
denuded of its feathers. It's body is dark
blue, with hgh,-colored wings; two small
horns portrude from its head, and il possess
es an instrument something Ike an ele-
plants trunk, which il keeps in constant
motion. Some people have suffered severe
ly from its bite, but they are the exception,
/ as the most OF skins seem 10 receive no
| harm from lis visilations"
Another newspaper says the chickens Of
Belgium are plagued; perhaps in sympathy
with the cattle.
In England, sheep are beginning TO die in
large numbers, appearan,ly infected with
the Prevalant distemper. Near The town n
Maliby forty of these animals have diea
within few days, out of flock OF seventy
The disease" says the Sheffield Telegraph,
'is attributed 10 atmospheric causes, the
peculiarly of the pasturage, the insects
and other similar causes"
Oh another flock in Miidenham, number.
ing log, all died except 60, whereupon SUB
scriptions were made al public meeting
for the purchase of lhe survivors. The
whole were then destroy ouier gar.
ments of the laborers employed, and the
tools used in burying the carcasses being
afterwards burnt up. In Paris, the dread of
the cattle disease is such, according 10
correspondent of the London Times, that all
dogs running at large are to be killed, lest
| they become agents for the transmission of
the con;sgion. A common impression is
that these various forms of disease among
the lower animals, ALSO the abundance Of iu :
sects, are precursor of cholera, and origi-
nate in a vitiated atmosphere.