Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1888-07-07
FLIGHT or LocusTs.


Ihsy Eat Up Every 0resa Thing ees
Leave ths Earth Desert.
An army Of locusts IL . wonderful
and an interesting sight to the travel.
er who does not own . yard OF soil
and is mere onlooker at-their fright
full devastation. It Is Attila and his
innumerable horses rushing over the
vegetable world To-day the wide
plains are shining green with dense
foliage; tomorrow nothing but brown
twigs and bare branches, when the
legions move of on their combined
mission. As they arrive the dense.
dark clouds moving up from tho
horizon. and often obscuring the suns
rays. proclaim the approach OF the
widely-dreaded scourge. The alarmed
villagers cougregate ON the expected
line of march. beating drums and
brass pots. shouting and lighting bon
fires and making all kinds Of hideous
noises. On one occasion. In South
Africa, I drove of the enemy from a
friends garden by making four heaps
of damp rubbish-one at each corner
lin preparation. and then, lighting
them at the proper moment. we dis
persed tho advance guard. our col
umns Of thick smoke being carried by
the wind upon the main body. which
altered Its route. Horses and oxen,
their heads and nostrils tormented BY
the clinging limbs Of the swarms
were boiling away to the woods
kicking and plunging in their hast.
y flight A Kissing, cracking sount
arose ON all sides; the whole al
seemed to be occupied by tn
falling and flying imps Of mis-
chief. The "locust birds" {
kind of crane) lowered in small
: parties on their hanks. and subsiste
!, on very small percentage of the in
. sect hosts. In desert localities, tn
!, hungry pests actually pitched on bone'
;, mating, sticks, ETC., and failing in
;. meal attacked and devoured eac
), other. On another occasion droy
! for miles along . sandy tract II
!. wheels of the vehicle crushin
!, myriads Of the newly-hatched insects
:. all crawling and creeping. with m
>, gratory instinct toward the cultivate
\, tracts. In India. locust visits al
n, further betwef but far more 70
i, midable, owing to the overwhelmir
h, masses. Sometimes a series of club
-, composed of their flights. cover seve
N al miles simultaneously. Fortunate
q. there are several bircs and beasts
-, quest of their bodies, and have ev
itL seen them sailed; dried, and sold
70. the markets. l have often inspect
NJ. dish OF curried locust, but could n
y, bring a sufficient amount of curiosl
M to bear on the tasting expcrimel
"A, though prawny odor went UP W
cos the steam. The fishes are great I
vourers Of these winged visitors.
nj. they fall into lakes and rivers duri
, =, changes of wind and weather.
81, sides fires made of green rubbish at t.
am l found gunpowder explosions We
nv useful in soaring them away from
mo vicinity Of my garden. When seve
. = successive hordes alighted on my or
how land loaded my gun with dust sh
! r. and, STOPPING low ON the ground. q
sc charged the contents of both barr
,ae into their midst. Having done
lass several times, enjoyed the welco
o. sight Of seeing them rising into
, its air an" gong o'se"hele' nav
vrer doubt a small cannon on such
was casions heavily loaded with sharp s.
Tho would hasten their fighting
.,;th Mechanic.