Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-06-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE H.OCUS'ES.


THIRTEEN AND SEVENTEEN YEAR TRIBES.
We have before referred to valuable
manuscript work of the late Dr. Gideon B.
Smith, of this city, on the locusts which are
now swarming and singing in the country
around us. 1t appears that there are not
only seventeen-year. but thirteen year 10.
Gusts, and the work of the deceased author
embraces the scientific description Of the
insect as given by hataraliats, it's history
and its habits in its winged and under
ground states, its geographical distribution
over this country. and ita regular appearance
in the different districts, &c. In the pre-.
v:ous notice We mentioned the coficlusion
established by the extensive researches of
Dr. Smith that this locust, in depositing
its egg, does all the harm of which it is ca.
pable. 1t has no other mouth or means of
taking food than three small hairs in its
snout, which, in feeding, are spread out
over the surface of the roots or leaves of
trees, art6 these collect The vegetable Juice
and carry it by capillary attraction to the
stomach. Even the injury done in deposi-
ting their eggs TO shrubbery of value can bc
guarded against by carefully covering it
from the 1st to the goth of June with cheap
gauze. We add few more of the many
interesting facts mentioned by DR.. Smith.
lie ascertaincd that they had been noticed
in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware, in
l776, 1888, 1900, 1917, 1884, the date of bis
work, and then afterwards in 1851 and 1868,
thus establishing their regular appearance
in this district every seventeen years. They
do not appear the same year in every dis.
trict, but each district has different year
for their appearance from that OF any neigh.
boring district. DIR. Smith says that the
locust is emphatically an American republi-
can insect, and found only in the United
States, and that there ate two tribes of these
insects, differing from each other only in the
periods of their lives-the largest family,
the Northern, living seventeen years, and
the other, the Southern, thirteen years. Gen.
orally these insects begin to leave the ground
about the Goth of May, and increase In num-
bcrs till about the 9th of that month, when
the greatest numbers will appear, and then
in less numbers till about the 9th of June,
when no more will leave the earth. About
the 10Th Of June they commence depositing
their eggs, which continues until about the
goth Of June, when they cease. The female
lays about 400 eggs, excavating holes for
that purpose in the limbs or twigs to
which they are attached by asingularly
constructed instrument, about the size of
u u.
About the 25th of June the old locusts
disappear altogether. About the 25th of
July the eggs are ready to hatch, the in
sects come out of the excavations and fall
to the ground in great numbers, and SO
small that they arc like little notes in the
air, and their apparent specific gravity so
inferior that they are not injured by the fall.
Well does DR.. Smith observe that in the
whole range of natural history there is no.
thing more strange than the fact that a lit
tie insect, not as large as the smallest ant,
shall pass into the ground and remain there
seventeen years, and then emerge in the
form of comparatively large insect, aud
that most tribes should re-appear the same
month, and almost the same day, once il
seventeen years, or thirteen years, according
to the district to which they belong. Hav-
ing made its way into the earth, it lives du-
ring the remainder of the warm season in
the vegetable sub-soil, and on the approach
of cold weather forms around itself a cocoon,
or cell, by cementing the particles of earth
together, in which condition the locusts are
often dug up in gardening and excavating
without their real character being discover
ed. The next season it opens one end of its
cell to gain access to the small roots and
moist earth, but does not leave the cell, and
thus it continues from season to season, each
year charging its cell, never changing its To-
cality from the time it enters the earth until
it emerges. The musical organs of the locust,
by which they keep up the peculiar and uni.
versal din, from sunrise to sunset, are de-
scribed at length by DR.. Smith, and the fact
stated that it is only the male which has the
organs of sound. He says:
"The musical organs are also very curious,
and difficult to describe. Directly under
the shoulder Of the wing on each side of the
chest there is beautiful membrane, some
what triangular, convex, and ribbed with
fine bony ridges. This membrane resembles
small shell, and is stretched over cavity
in the chest, the lower angle connected in
ternally with strong muscle. On the breast
there are two large scales, one on each side,
firmly attached to the breast above, but free
below. On bending the body backwards
these scales are elevated and expose two
large cavities, also covered with extremely
fine and silk-like membranes. These cavities
are connected with those under .he musical
membranes Under the wing shoulders, and
probably serve for lungs. When these cav
tiles are tilled with air, the musical organs OF
membranes first described are made TO pro-
duce the sound by the large muscles the
pony IluSeS Oi tue neuloTaneS peibB maue
to act upon each other with such rapidity
that the motion is scarcely perceptible'"
Whilst the most harmless and defenseless
of creatures, this insect has innumerable
enemies. Chickens, turkeys, birds, squirrels,
and pigs will scarcely touch any other food
during the locust season. A curious effect
on all hens eggs laid after feeding upon
this diet is that their yolks are nearly white.
A remarkable character of the insect men,
toned by DR.. Smith is its solitary life. Al
though in close neighborhood to numerous
individuals of its class. two are never found
In cell nor In contact. This is also theii
character in the perfect or winged state
DR.. Smith has given in the work from which
we have cleaned these facts the most pains
taking and complete account of this insect
in existence, embellished With admirable
drawings, representing it in all its stages
IL is to be hoped that some of our learned
societies will have their attention attracted
to this valuable and interesting manuscript
and take steps for Its publication.-Bah;
more Sun.
TuE FIRsi, GtN FROM OHIo.-An election
was held on the 18th inst, in the judicial dis
:. % H.. Of than