The Opelousas courier., 1888-02-25
Sports and Games Of Amin Il.

That insects have their ggnes and
sports I Am convinced. This first oc-
Cured to me while in the Adirondacks
some years ago. / vas some distance
in the wilderness, and having found a
small clearing, was resting from my
climb, when suddenly the sun, that had
been obscured, sent o band Of light
through an opening in the trees and at
| n transformed the spot into q verit-
il, able fairy-land. From al about in
Vulnerable forms of insect life seemed
to spring into the gladstone light, and
soon the great sunbeam was the scene
of such revelry as is only imagined by
tellers of fairy stories. A band of
gnats. or insects resembling them,
seemed to be performing some mystic
,, dance. They foated on the Seams of
light, rising and falling ir -s.A.lating
lines. forming and reforming, now dis
appearing, as if Mt some preconcerted
signal, only to appear again,jn some
new sn~pe. So regular and exact were
these movements that I was impressed
that they had some meaning. In and
about this band of players varioa9
other forms were darling. Such games
OF tag! such aerial leaps, dives and
plunges! all showing that this sunbath
was icing enjoyed to the utmost ex-
tent.
Once, when lying on the rocks that
face the ocean, not far from Nahant, L
was attracted by a curious clicking
sonnd, first on one side. then on the
other; as if a system of signaling was
going on. Recognizing the note OF one
of the locust tribe, I carefully turned
and saw half a dozen large, rusty
brown fellows, commonly known as
grasshoppers, which so exactly imitat-
ed the rocks in color hat it was with
the greatest difficulty I distinguished
them wheu not in motion. It was ap-
parent that they were engaged III some
curious performance, as they were
marching about in the most cratic
manner, lodging and hiding between
pieces of stone, and exhibiting remark
able acutenes in avoiding each other.
All the little irregularities of the rocks
we're carefully taken advantage of, and
their motions in creeping upon one
another rem nded me of those of a cat,
so stealtby and sly were they. This
game of hide-and-seek was occasionally
varied by a leaping performance. Two
locusts would gravely face each other.
and then as if at a given signal they
would jump into the air, n passing
over the other in the fight, alightine
and assuming the same positions, only
reversed. I watched their maneuyers
for some time, and listened to the
curious clicking that accompanied
them; but finally an incautious move
ment broke up the games, and the play
ers flew away, seemingly uttering Wig
orous protests.
The love of sport is net confined tt
these lowly creatures. doubt that al
animal can be found which does not il
some way or at some time show a de
sire for what we term amusement.
Among the land animals, or rather thu
land and water animals, the offers ar
especially noticeable from the fact tina
some Of their games are exactly fik'
those of human device. It was Audi
bon who first chronicled their actions
he having watched them from a seclud
ed spot, and since then their game
have been enjoyed by many observers
The ctters (lutra ca~uadens:s) are per
haps the %originators OF the games o
sliding down hill and obogganing.-
! Vide ANGEe. ,st