Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-09-20

l
were in two conditions the frst condition
was that of wingless insect of DARK
green color, with black rings round it.
body in shape it was like grasshopper
though much larger than the common Eng
lish grasshopper.
When in this state the insect is called
by the Dutch roet-ganger, or "foot-goer'
and when assembled III numbers, it pre-
sents a most singular appearance. Ii
some districts these voet-gangers may be
found all the year round; they crowd to-
gether, standing on each other in heaps
four or FIVE deep, or gradually advancing
over each others backs.
They are very fond OF climbing up small
bushes or trees, and on these they will
cluster together in masses, holding on to
one another with singular tenacity.
When a person approaches and touches
them with a stick, or knocks the branch
on which they are clinging, they will sep
arate and spread about in various direc-
tons; but if left alone for an hour, they
will all be found again crowded just in the
same manner as they were previous TO be-
ing disturbed.
The voet-gangers are very destructive
to vegetation. If party Of these insects
march towards field of Indian corn, they
are almost certain to destroy it. Hundreds
of thousands may be smashed, burnt, or
drowned, but still there will remain hun
dreds Of thousands TO supply the place Of
those destroyed, and on they march over
the dead bodies of their companions, and,
with an Unsuitable appetite, feast on the
vegetation before them.
In such countless numbers are these
voet-gangers, that in many cases rivers are
crossed in consequence Of the dead bodies
Of those in advance floating on the water,
and thus forming bridge for the others to
pass over.
The locust in this first condition is about
an inch to an inch and a half IN length.
but when they pass from this iarval state
to their matured aud winged condition,
they are four times as big. 4 full-grown
locust Is from three to nearly five inches
IN length, and looks like j giant grasshop-
per. la fact, our common English grass
hopper belongs to the true locust. The
body IS raily tinted. and the insect is very
pretty Its powerful jaws or uippers are
well fitted for a vegetable feeder; these
Jaws will cut through stout leaves like ra-
zors. and | have found a locust able to
draw blood from my fingers by his bite.
Considering the rapldity with which
the locust increases in numbers, it Is lucky
that it has many enemies who have a per-
sonal interest IN its destruction, tnis inter
est beng that they iced on the locust
There are many birds which follow q
fight OF locusts just as by1nas Will hang
about a herd Of antelope. Some Of these
birds are termed the locust bird, because
they seem to live on nothing else but To-
Gusts, and are always seen flying about
after them. Cattle eat locusts freely, so
also will ante.opes. The bushman, too,
considers locusts a deicacy; aud, from
personal experience | can affirm that GIRL
ed .ocuSts and wild honey form by no
means bad meal.
Habit. and what we term fancy, has So
much 70 do with eating. that we rarely
obtain an unprJudiced opinion ir0m peo-
pie as TO what they consider good eating
They are often unwilling to own as good
what their fancy is not taken with. II
has often occurred TO us that very tcw
persons would be disposed to eat au oyster
unless they either saw others DO 80, OF had
very good evidence that an oyster was De-
Iicious. We have oursc,i seen Cliire-
who would cat meat almost raw, and just
kIlled-bccome almost Ill when be beheld
US open and eat rock oyster-a proceed
ing that Ae would not venture upon on any
account
Wei, locusts are good eating and th.
way we cooked them was to string them on
"a wire, and toast them over e fire, thet
drop some money on them and eat then
ike shrlmps
\ large night o. -ocdSts + certainty 2
wonderful s'ght. Inc largest We ever saw
was about h,teeH mites mia d from y i,.''
we were r'd'H5 at lne time ana % moief-
ATE breeze was p.o"'"-.
As we Foue oh"arls we IA" p c-eR' =
front o. u-, looking Ike snow storm 2
was 80 dense that !; quite ooseured on
we" OF distant oolec's' ann ~ hrst "'
tnou9ht IL was very h'aFy ma" storm o.
I thuhier~ho"er, Du'' as We ro3a towards NJ
we sa" some OF 'he advanced guard t'Ih n-
down on 'Ae ground ana we t'eh lo-hl W
were approaching hlgnt oil iocu~ts.
ms night a. lar as we eo1id JtA5'
was tour or lIe mics IN breadth an' "a
about one hundred ana nifty yards D,
/ height the Iocusts were 30 c'ase 70 e'e'
other that with their irregular night iae-
frequent knocked against eacA other 'h.
-eii1to the ground. llundfeds ana thou
SANDS we're ON the ground ana rose ,"
"i'd sulue'e7s course as we rolg over 'nen
nut as they were uyinS III '1e opPo.s,''
direction 10 tnat ID "nicn we We're ram:
they struck against our morse He'H' an.
30 annoyed nun mat ne WOu.i h3i Iac
them and actually turned his back q
these plgmIes- As Tor ourselves we Wer
struck over the lace ana cars 10y the crea