The sun., 1885-06-28
THE SEYIcNTEEN- YEAR LOCUSTS.
How They Shake OF ih. Ola Body and Pat
On he New.


To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN-Sir: Now
that tho seventeen year locusts have appeared
in Central Park such of your readers as culti-
vate natural history may find great interest In
watching them extricate themselves from tho
horny shell in which they have pissed the long
period OF their Imprisonment under ground.
have Just come from visit to tho beautiful
Chester valley, Pennsylvania. whore they have
come by hundreds OF thousands. making the
air vocal for miles around. We collected n large
quantity, put them in glass dish with soping
worry curious lesson to, study their mode Of ac-
ton. They had alrendy worked their way out
snrm"i at iirst rather TORPID. US il resting for
liitio while from tho eNertion. When unais.
,urhed n the woods, at mis- stage. they would
y log. or q fcnce-nnd. catchin. ii by their
horny "Es, E, Susrond themselves. head down.
Of tn. dish did NOT afford them the support
their instinct demanded They crawlod over
each other, and. In ,tumbinE about. damaged
circumstances this takes place. and scores die
In manned condition though ,b ths remaining
drnds or thousands is unpsrceived.
The novel conditions. however did not pre-
sat round tho table Watching each step with in.
tense interest.
low the head and very gradually the whole
body would come ont. When suspended BY
thSlf logs the WnlEhl O1 tho h"hd would Aid and
an occasional slight shiyer would PISS over
them. huf ths motion was so slow that you
scarcely remarked it, There may have been
some wriE.linE. hut too minute 10 be detected
by the naked syr, Ey"rythug WAS most OK.
Iuisitey arranged and the manner in which tho
large wings were rlosslytol tediusido their small
horny coverings was wonderful. Slowly, slowly
all came out-ilrst tho head with Its antsnnB
perfect then tho wings and body and lastly
tho lr.s, which were hin. limp. and white like
bits OF thread. The body was OF u uinky white,
liko u chestnut worm. and as soft and pu ny,
and III. eyes n coral rrl. Ths air quickly gave
them strength and cons istency and in hall nm
folds. aud were "Nt"nd"d ~ long as the bodies,
the hodirs wero onc-third lnr.-r. and almost
black. and tho logs were strong enough to sup
port their waght.
In tho beginning OF their arrival their voices
could hardy bs heard. In the wood thsrs was
n something in the mir which was scarcely "A
sound. only an inaudible thrill. but those who
hhh once seen IN" creatures recognized IL and
SAID: Ihrr6 Era the locusts.' In n day or two
II Was stronger and deeper. and continuous by
night rs wsli as by day.
- I'M sound Is very curious What makes II
inc hooks toll us that II Is produced by tha in
OF drum; ana yonrscorrnspondent had always
accepted thls explanation TIL now. But one of
tho gentlemen OF the partyf found on the ground
outside OF the house II fun l-grown locust whose
winss hnd been ACCIDENTALLY broken of quite
closo to his shoulders. who was making rs
grand and as brave hum as any of his fell
lows. dc picked IL up and hold tightly even
tne remnants oi wings, and We all heard that
tho sound continued loud and clear. though
any movement was impossible. IL evidently
Proceeded from within tho chest, and you could
sren f.e tho vibration in your fingers. There-
ioro the nhturalists will please set to work for
another solution OF this mysterious sound OF
this mysterious insect. SANTA.