Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-07-10
FLIGHT OF Locusrs.


They, Eat Up Every Green Thing and
Leave the Earth = Desert
An army of locusts is wonderful
and an interesting sight to the travel
er who does not own yard Of soil
and is a 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 off on their combined
mission. As they arrive The dense.
dark clouds moving up from the
horizon. and often obscuring the sun s
rays. proclaim the approach Of the
widely-dreaded scourge. The alarmed
villagers congregate on the expected
line of march, beating drums and
brass pots. shouting and lighting bon
fires and making all kinds of hi,leous
noises. On one occasion. in South
Africa ! drove off the enemy from a
friends garden by making four heaps
OF damp rubbish-one at each corner
in preparation, and then, lighting
them at the proper moment, we dis
persed the 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 hasty
flight. A Kissing, cracking sound
arose on all sides; the whole air
seemed to be occupied by the
falling and flying imps of mis-.
chief. The "locust birds" "a
kind Of crane) lowered in small
parties on their fianks. and subsisted
on very small percentage of the in
sect hosts. In desert localities, the
hungry pests actually pitched on bones,
mating, sticks, ETC., and falling in a
meal. attacked and devoured each
other. Ga another occasion l drove
for miles along sandy tract the
wheels of the vehicle crushing
myriads Of the newly-hatched insects,
all crawling and creeping. with mi
gratory instinct, toward the cultivated
tracts. In India. locust visits are
further betwef but far more for
midable, owing to the Overwhelming
masses. Sometimes a series of clubs,
composed of their flights, cover sever.
al miles simultaneously. Fortunately
there are several bircs and beasts in
quest of their bodies, and have ever
seen them sailed; dried, and sold ir
the markets. l have often inspecte.
a dish of curried locust, but could no
bring a sufficient amount of curiosity
| to bear on the tasting experiment
though prawny odor went up will
the steam. The fishes are great de
vourers of these winged visitors, fol
they fall into lakes and rivers durins
changes of wind and weather Be
sides fires made of green rubbish at top
l found gunpowder explosions very
useful in soaring them away from tn,
vicinity of my garden. When severa
successive hordes alighted on my gras
land l loaded my gun with dust Shot,
and, STOPPING low on the ground. dis
charged the contents of both barrels
into their midst. Having done 81
several times, enjoyed the welcome
sight of seeing them rising into tht
air and going elsewhere. have nc
doubt a small cannon ON such oc
casions heavily loaded with sharp sant
would hasten their flight-Englisl
! Mechanic.