The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-04-05

The home is closed--windows and doors
and Tim and his pretty wife have gone
to the mother s-ln-law in the country.
The Locust or Migratory Grasshop-
per as seen Ia Texas.
This insect, though fully described
by naturalists, is but little understood
by the people generally, especially by
the recent Immigrants into the State.
Wherefore, as an old Texan, who has
witnessed events in Western Texas
for many years, essay to tell what l
know or have observed.
Their first flight into Western Texas |
of which / am cognizant was In the |
fall of 1S4S. They then came In great |
numbers, far greater than last fall,
though they were not as long in pass
ing over. Since then have seen them |
a number of times. Sometimes there |
would be only few seen in the fall |
and in the spring they would not be
noticed. They are out of their lati-
tude or rather longitude here, and only
come to breed. They do not live here,
and as soon as they have wings they
fly away to the great plains, going
either west or west of north. Two
kinds have visited us-the ordinary OF
most numerous kind are small, only
about an inch and quarter IN length
the other kind is gray in color and
about three inches in length. These,
however, are few in numbers, and
have seen them only twice, think, in
termixed with the smaller variety. or
this kind 1 have heard i. said they
once, within few years back, devas-
tated Utah and Southern California.
| The home of the migratory grasshop-
per is doubtless on the great arid plains
between the waters of the Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico, and the waters that
| flow into the Pacific. So IN the dry
plains of Africa and Asia, in like con-
dition, they find their hom:. Their
| appearance in the valley of the Upper
Mississippi, and on the plains of West
| ern Texas Occaslonally, is caused by
| their being carried east by the prevail
ing winds. 1t is noticed that when
they are blown very far east from their
home on the Northern plains, that year
they may be expected to come south to
Western Texas. In 1S48 their eastern
line on the Colorado was between Fay
cite and Washington counties. Last
year they were a hundred miles or there
abouts further east. The cause, doubt.
less, was that they were carried further
east, by the prevailing winds in the
North, for, though this insect likes to
have his own way, and will lie quietly
on the ground al one place for several
| days to get favorable wind, it is an
impatient creature, and must migrate;
wherefore, il the wind does not suit
him for several days he will get up in
to the air anyhow, and in this way will
be drifted with the current of wind.
Indeed, he has such long wings, and
carries SO much sail, that he must nee
essarily go with the wind. 1t is to be
remarked that they never have come to
Texas except in the fall of the year.
They come here, therefore, tor the pur-
pose of breeding, and they only come
because the approaching cold weather
North admonishes them that they must
leave that country. ... .a-.f- -
The writer's opinion is, that they de-
post their eggs as they come, and the
blonger they are in flying over the more
eggs they will deposit; also, that when
they have performed this office OF ma
ture, like the silk worm, they die. He
has seen seasons when freezing wealth
er would catch them on the ground,
but when the cold snap was over they
came out as lively as ever; also, seasons
when the warm weather continued till
December the whole army would dis
appear, because they had deposited
their eggs and died. 20. ts.. Vs..
4 So much for its habits. The eggs
are deposited in a glutinous sack, in
hard or firm ground-seldom or never
: in ipfowed ground, and this sack is
impervious to water, and the eggs are
unaffected by cold. The object seems
to be to. put the eggs in firm ground
that is, ground that is not likely to fall
in or sink, SO as to bury them too deep
FOR the young hopper (Which Is not
much longer than fea) to
; get out when he is Matched
Hence the greatest deposits will be
found on chalky hillsides, where the
young hopper can expect some tender
food next spring, or IN firm ground in
. the sandy land and in the valleys.
= SOulluuGu WdIul WcdIuCI lOI WCCh
or ten days in winter will hatch the
eggs; hence we find variety of sizes
} in the young hoppers this spring. The
grand crop does not hatch. till, the
:: spring fairly opens. When they are
/, very young, heavy rains will destroy
them, and ferCthat reason they are moi
. as plentiful here as they were expected
D to be from the vast deposits that were
made in the fall. After week or ter
days, they are able to take care oil
, themselves, even in a heavy fair
: storm. They climb upon the grass OF
heritage, and get above the water.
The best estimate have been able
to make Of the time OF their pups
5 state, provided the weather is favora
: BILE, is about ten weeks-that 10 from
their hstching into hoppers till the]
d get wings. Their NEST destructiv,
period with us is during tins state
while they are only hoppers; and dur
!. ing this period they are most destruc
!. tive after they get to be half an inch il
! length, and Can travel for food a. II
! army marches to battle. In this marcl
1t is almost impossible TO stop them o.
to hinder or delay them. When the,
have arrived at their full growth, the!
n seem. to lose their activity and assem-
bic in great npmoers in shady places
q where, they propose to undergo thu
Q metamorphosis from . hopper only Y
t tina. OF full grown migratory grass
Y hopper, with long, silyery wings, csPs
Il bic of transporting him back 70 hi
n Original home The process By which
: this is done may be seen By careful
i watching, but the change y % lnstan
II taneous that t. is seldom Witnessed
e You will observe the full grown hop
n per, who is about TO change into thr
Is winged insect, sitting still and looki1f
!, very serious. You will also observ'
r that he continues 20 manipulate hi
s ihssd With one pair Of bis legz, Wills
P with another pair he is mAniF ulatinf
, | his back and tail. He 10 covered viii
g thin game like skin that he 10 tTyinl