The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-05-01

go to another place and call another crowd,
and after the harangue he would again alight
and communicate with each individual. As
far as l could see. there was no love-making
connected with this affair.
Entomologists who have made the brains
Of insects study, tell up that the OrthopterG
especially the grasshoppers, bave good
development of brain, but not equal to the
ants, or to the social bees and wasps.
Another class of grasshoppers remain on
the ground to play. These are the Violinists
among the musicians; they use their hind
legs for bows which they draw across strings
situated In the wing covers. The Rocky
Mountain locust (COlOptennus SpTetus) belong
ing to this class. And here is an instance
where an insect ceases to be Insignificant and
becomes a great and mighty power in the
land, compelling the Government to supply
men and means to thwart the vast armies
that sweep over the West, devouring all
vegetation before them.
Large volumes have been written by the
the head of the chronological Commission,
DR.. c. V. Riley, with host of aids, and
published by Congress for this purpose, and
scattered broadcast over the country so that
all may learn the history and habits of these
| creatures and the various means employed
to check their ravages.
As far back as literature exists, we find &C.
counts of the scourge of locusts in the Old
| World, and of the vast swarms that darken-
ed the sky and swept all green things from the
face of the earth, causing famine and death
to the inhabitants But all that has been
| written in ancient and modern times cannot
excel the grand, impressive language used by
| the Prophet Joel in the account of these
hosts:
"a day of darkness and of gloominess, a
| day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the
morning spreads upon the mountains /; a
great people and a strong; there hath not
been ever the like, neither shall be any more
after it, even to the years of many genera
tions. A fire devoureth before them and
behind them flame burneth; the land is as
the garden of Eden before them, and behind
them desolate wilderness; yea, and moth
ing shall escape them. The appearance of
| them is as the appearance of horses; and as
horsemen so shall they run. Like the noise
of chariots on the tops of mountains shall
they leap, like the noise of flame of fire
| that devoureth the ubble, as a strong peo-
set il battle array. Before their face the
| people shall be much panied all faces shall
gather backncss They shall run like nigh
| ty men they shall climb the wall like men
of war; and they shall march every one on
his ways, and they shall not break their
| ranks"
The katydid must not be passed by, as he
| is general favorile, and the only one among
the musicians that articulates distinctly.
| The musical apparatus is situated in each of
the wing covers where they overlap, and by
rubbing them briskly together he can Call
Katy and make her hear when she is long
distance away. They are among our largest
insects some specimens measuring from the
head 10 the end of the wings nearly two
inches in length. They are green in color and
somewhat exclusive and high-minded. Dur
ing the day they remain quietly seated on
their leafy thrones among the foliage of the
trees, their color making them quite incon-
spicuous, so that their personal appearance is
less Familiarity known than their voice. They
happens to alight upon social gathering of
the dainty creatures in late summer or early
autumn.
In the twilight of an evening in last Au-
gust my attention was drawn to quite an I'M
usual syllable sound-ka, ka, kat, ka. The
repetition was sharp and incisive, indicating
that the musicians were young and full OF
life, and why they did not complete the SEN
tence-Katy did, Katy did it-aroused my
curiosity sufficiently to incite an investiga-
ton of the matter. Stepping out Oh the YER
anda, 1 soon found Miss Katy on vine
which ran over the piazza, surrounded by
group of gallants Whether she was sad
flirt and had brought the infection upon her
self of so many callers, or whether it was her
own inherent loveliness and beauty that at
tracted SO many at the same time was not for
me to know / could see only the result OF
some law or katydiG etiquette which was in
applicable to me.
There were five of these young suitors,
looking precisely alike, and so far as l could
see no preference was shown TO one more
than to the other by the fair Katy, who was
seated on spray of honeysuckle and en-
powered by an overhanging cluster OF belat-
ed flowers. Her visitors walked around her
in slow, courtly manner, with their long
antenne lying straight back over their wings.
But every little while one and then another
| of the number would politely salute her by
bringing forward his antenna and gently
| waving it over her; then would come the
sharp chorus ofvoices--ka, kat, kat-all talk
| ing at once, when the sutton would subside
| and replace his antenne over his back and
| fall into rank with the others.
Happening 10 know that another female
was not far away, I secured her and placed
her near this group, thinking thereby to d.
vide their attention. | put her below them,
knowing her tendency would be to walk up
ward rather than down. She no sooner
reached the party than the first Miss Katy
began to rise up until she stood on the very
tips of her toes, looking like a young giant
ess, and all the time waving her antenns as
if to dismiss her, while the sharp click of the
males resounded on every side as if assuring
her of their entire devotion, and that they
would not be swayed from their loyalty by
this unbidden guest. She did not tarry long,
however, but walked away without single
follower, and only one of the gallants salut-
ed her as she passed, touching her with his
| antenn8
The mode of Communication among all in
sects is with these organs, and for augbt we
know their language may be as perfect with
them as ours with us. And any one who is
surrounded with trees on hot sullry night
in August, when it seems as if the whole in
sect world were vying with one another to
see which can make the loudest noise-rival
katydids declaring from tree tops that Katy
did it, Katy did 1t, she did," and tree, and
grass, and field crickets shrilling their loud
est serenades, will not deny their musical
powers.
The delicate little white tree cricket Ecan-
thus naueus is one of our best musicians, the
loud sound it makes being out of all proper
ton TO its size. These dainty creatures
choose the most lovely dwelling places among
flowers and foliage This must have been
observed by the one who named it Gcan-
thus, which means living among flowers.
Their antenna are proportionately longer
than the katydids, being nearly twice as long
as the body, and they have Katy's habit of
laying them back over the wings when not
in use, but when a couple meet they bring
them forward and salute each other with
most exquisite grace and easy pOliteness.