The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-30

rapacious, living entirely on The blood of
fish, frogs and acquatic insects, by
means of its long arms j. arlsp' its prey,
plunging its strong beak into the flesh
at the same time squirting into the
wound Il few drops Of its violent poison,
soon killing its victim. This poison is
very likely injected into the wound to
produce u more rapid flow Of blood, of
which this insect is so fond. If it bites
a man, which it IS very liable 10 do, it
will produce Il very painful wound, and
the pain will continue for days. The
injured part commences 10 swell at once
violent headache cnsue, and lamencss of
bitten limbs have followed. Application
of LIQUOR ammonia TO the wounds gives
most relief Before the Use of the cleo
trio light these bugs were found once IN
q while ON the streets of Baltimore, but
only during or after Il heavy rain storm.
Science the introduction of the electric
light they are frequently attracted to it
in large numbers.
The seventeen-year locusts, for which
this water-bug has been mistaken, will
commence to come out of the ground in
about month, although some few may
put in appearance somewhat sooner \
locust, though it has Il beak like the
waterbury, cannot bite with it, as it is too
soft and flexible to penetrate the human
skin. Neither can lOcusts inilict sting
they are harmless rs far rs biting or
singing is concerned The reason so
many persons are reported us killed by
locusts in locust years is probably be-
cause they are stung by large digger
wasps, which stop their burrows with
dead locusts. This wasp, the "Stizzus
Grandis," searches for locusts, stings
them, and files with them towards its
burrows, prepared beforehand for their
reception. The locust being about as
heavy us the wasp the latter has Il bur
den and consequently its flight is irreg-
| ular and awkward, so much so that fire.
quently the two fall to the ground or on
people passing. The sting of the wasp
frequently produces death in two hours.
The damage done by locusts is confined
entirely to the vegetable life, and is not
as great by any means us has been claim
ed and as a rule, indeed, thcycar follow
ing locust year is Il good fruit year, be-
cause the summer pruning done by the
locusts laying their eggs in young
branches up to an inch in diameter, kill
the portion above their eggs and produce
! in certain localities rather severe
pruning. Almost all kinds of trees share
alike in this pruning, and only young
pine trees escape to any great extent.
Locusts can be made useful by keeping
fouls enough to dcvour them. Young
orchard can be protected by simply
keeping large numbers of fowls in them
These will eat up the locusts as soon as
they come out Of the grounds while they
are yet in helpless condition. The
locusts that comes out this season were
Matched from eggs laid in 1865. The
eggs were Matched in the branches thai
same year. The larvae crawled dow
the tree and entered the ground, follow
ing the larger roots 10 their very ends
where they attached themselves to TIN
fine iibres 10 remain until this time
Now they are making their way slowl,
towards the surface in the pupa state
its little flaps holding the embryo wings
II crawls ont on the ground still in tn
: pupa state, and fastening itself to som
object, its back splits open and the sti
soft locust issues with wings still shor
| In about an hour these wings expand t
full size, the body dries, and the insect
! rrndy for business. -Ralto. Sun.