Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-11
A STUDY OF THE LOCUST.
The Animal That Is Attracting So Much
Attention just Now,

From che Baaa,aore A Daeyican.
The locust Will occupy a prominent
place in the public mind for several weeks
to come, partly because he makes his ap-
pearance everywhere this summer, with
out regard TO the fitness Of the place.
sometimes on a tree, sometimes on
mans hat, and sometimes, as the boys
and girls playing in the public squares
discover, on the stockings, which afford
him secure hold, and then he furnishes
a rather startling spectacle. Partly, also,
he holds a con5picous place in public at
tenuon because, it may be said, after the
example set by Prof. Riley and others, he
is the only game bird in season.
''EntOmOlOgist' sends an interesting
life history of the animal. "On June l.
1sS5," he saws, 1.-THE first Of the '17-year'
locusts made their appearance, but in
small numbers. On the afternoon OF the
81 | saw the chickens and young ducks
running about in the grass, under the
trees, rapidly and eagerly devOuriDg what
was apparently insects. Upon eXamina-
ton, l found the ground perforated with
holes, from which crawled crysalides.
Tley instlnctiyely made for the trees, and
commenced their ascent. | noticed that
when about half way UP the trunk Of the
or pup9, which was the third stage of
their existence, and assumed a whitish
color, with short stubs u wings, some
times white and sometimes a light pink.
Upward they went among the branches,
leaving their shells behind them clinging
10 the bark. Up among the branches the
birds Of all kinds held high carnival. In
a very short time they must have assumed
the shape and size OF full-hedged locusts,
Frffh hnhiaQ MT win nj
red eyes. On the evening Ofthe 4th heard
only a few, but at daylight of tAe 9TH their
shrill chorus among the trees made the
woods rattle with a lively rural rounde-
lay.
''Many Of the shrubs were loaded down
with their weight, and as they flew lazily
from tree to tree their wings glistened in
the sunlight. After mating the process
of laying the eggs commences. The
female is provided with a small parcel OF
tools, with which she pierces and saws
the bark OF the twigs whore she makes her
deposit. This over, her task is done.
she dies and falls to the ground. The
male makes his appearance earlier, and
/ dies propOrtlonately sooner. Thus it will
! be seen that the cicada has but short
] yet happy life.
1.-The female is a mute, and it is the
/ old gentleman that walls the plaintiye
"Phar-a-a-raoh," being provided with a
/ pair OF kettledrums under the wings, on
the side of the thoraX, from which Is pro
duced a shrill and ho9rse sound by con
traction aud expansion. Neither sex bite
nor sting. but they are provided with d
mandible with which they puncture the
bark aud draw therefrOm sap by a suction
apparatus. The only injury they do Is by
killing the twigs Of trees and shrubs IN
which they deposit their eggs, In about
six weeks the eggs are Matched and the
young fan 70 the ground. They resemble
ants. and, Ike ants, commence boring
down into tue ground, where they feet
upon rOotlots and develop during the
seventeen years, till they make their peri
odical appearance. The l3-year broot
will not make their appearance here, be
lug confined to the Southwestern States
and no locality viii have the experience,
Of both at the same time. They VIII las
only a few weeks, ana we may expect %,
serious annoyance from them. Their foo,
Is OF the simplest and most nutritious
vegetable iuices, and few epicures con
sidCr them p0latable.'