Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-08

impaired distinct and agreeable favor TO the
stew. bU: were not palatabe themselves. being
reduced to fabby skins. They were best fried
In batter. when they suggested shrimps. Never
theless. it decided that they were not likely
TO become popular dainty. This is unfortu-
nate. inasrluch as unlimited quantities of them
can be readily gathered when they in season
1t must be understood tina. no relation exists
between the cicadas and the grasshoppers, which
are the true locusts. The former belong to =
wholly different family in the kingdom Of in
sects. Grasshoppers have long been recog-
nized as edible. People in many parts Of the
world eat them. John the Baptist subsisted on
them in the wilderness with Wild honey for a
relish. The bug experts at Washington have
found that unfiedged grasshoppers. boiled two
hours, with butter. spices and salt added. COM
pose a broth that is scarcely distinguishable
from beef broth. Fried in their own oil, ~
roasted. they have agreeable nutty taste
Ground and compressed they will last fresh in
definitely. Curry OF grasshoppers and grass
hopper croquettes have been tiled and ap-
proved of.
Though not Of economic Importance the
periodical cicada excites great interest because
1t IL an anomaly. No other insect has a larval
period of such duration or even approaching it,
II Is confined wholly to this country east of the
Rocky mountains. Other species are found in
all parts of the world the family being very large
one. They are most numerous in the tropics
where they grow to gigantic size measuring as
much as three inches in length and often
brilliantly colored- But all Of these foreign
kinds are annual, spending only one season in
the crawling, wingless stage. 1t has been dis
covered that the long-term cicadas in
the southern states appear every thirteen
years. In order to find out whether
this is purely a matter Of climate or
difference Of variety several patches OF the
northern insects have been planted under
marked trees in Georgia and Louisiana, while
the same has been done with specimens from
the south of New York and Ohio. The entomo-
logical sharps are keeping tab on them to see
when they will come out.
During the first six or seven years Of its life
the cicada does not ordinarily burrow deeper
in the earth than two feet. Later on 10 10 sup
posed to go further down, and il has been
found at depth Of 20 feet Toward the end Of
Its Term of subterranean existence it makes its
way upward. and in the year when it is to ap-
pear it is discovered quite close to the surface.
under logs and stones, seemingly awaiting the
opPortune moment When that moment ar
rives the creatures swarm ont in vast num-
bers and scramble over the ground to the near
est trees III there il isolated tree q very
strange phenomenon Is exhibited. All of the
insects in its neighborhood, led by q remark
able instinct make 50 many Declines toward
It. Conversins to this central point they
Chamber up the trunk in a steady stream. diverg-
ing again along the branches. Once seen the
sight Is not easily forgotten
HOW THEY BEGIN TO COME OCT.
The cicadas begin to come out at sunset and
continue until midnight When the insect has
skin begins to split down the middle. 1t takes
from twenty minutes to an hour for the animal
TO extricate itself from its discarded shell. The
transformation completed, it appears as a
beautiful creature with gauzy wings. There
are few mere wonderful sights than that