The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-04-04
Locusts Are Coming.
The I7-Year and l3-Year cicades
Due in % States.

Within few days now the Agricultural
Department at Washington will issue bull
letin to farmers announcing that the insect
pests commonly called "l7-year locusts" are
due in % States and Territories during the
months Of May, June and July. II they do
not appear in large numbers this year, il
will be because the chronological aathori-
ties are all at sea in their predictions or else
the growth of civilized communities has had
q tendency to decrease their broods.
The real name Of this interesting insect is
the periodical cicada, or the red-eyed cicada.
as bug hunters familiarity call it. 1t does
not belong to the locust tribe, which are
near relatives of the grasshopper and distin-
guished by great ability TO jump. The red
eyed cicada does not jump. The dictioua-
ries derive the word locust from two Latin
words. meaning burnt place, and the pop
uIar use of that word as the name of the
cicada is justified by the testimony of writ
ers who have described the ravages of the
I7-year locusts. One who travelled hund-
red miles through the forests of Pennsylva-
MIA and Ohio after they had appeared said
the whole forest looked as if it had been
scorched by fire.
Before the natural history of the I7-year
locust was understood, its appearance was
regarded as a supernatural manifestation.
In Louisiana in 1885 it was regarded as
presaging war with Mexico. There is
dusky z;gzag line near the top Of the crea-
tures wings which looks like "W," and is
said TO stand for war. The omen would not
hold good in other languages, bat the IL
year locust does not prevail in other lands.
Il Is distinctly American product, and Of
the 350, 900 varieties Of insect life known TO
science it has the longest life. 1t is little
singular that the Arabs trace in the wings
of the genuine locust message from God
written in Arabic
C.V. Riley, United States commissioner
Of agriculture in 1855, has done much TO
clear up the mystery which involved the IL
/ year locust. He has found that there are
two kinds of periodical cicades, the northern
/ variety, with period of development last
! ing Il years, and another variety, supposed
to have come originally from the South,
with period of Is years. There is no per-
ceptible difference between these two kinds
Of cicades. except the period Of their deye!-
opLent, but Mr.. Riley says that they do not
| associate with each other or cross in breed
/ ing Mr.. Riley thought be had discovered
/ p brOods Of these insects, but afterward re-
duced il to 81, because his predictions as to
the appearance OF one brood were not real
! lied. OF these - broods are those of 13-
/ year lOcusis and 10 those of 17-year locusts.
Since 1850 one brood or another has made
its appearance in the United States every
year, except in 1873, 1887, 1890 and 1892.
This year. according to Professor Riley's
schedule. the country is to be visited by q
! I3-year brood and 17-year brood together
Small broods of both sorts appeared at dis
tant points last year and in lssS, but in 1886
both sorts appeared in vast reaches of terri
tory east of the Mississippi, and the last Wis
itatiOn before that of S-year brood and a
l7-year brood in the same year was in 1868
The l7-year loousis are scheduled to appear
this year in Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia,
District of Columbia, North Carolina and
Michigan. They are called by Mr.. Riley
Brood XII, and are very numerous.
The I3-year locusts are scheduled to APP
pear in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illi-
nois, Indian Territory, Kentucky, Louisiana
Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee Texas aud Virginia
They constitute brood XVIII of Mr.. Riley
classification. He says this is the largest o
the 10 year brOOds and the most widely ex-
tended. Only in Virginia and North Caroli-
ma are both varieties predicted TO appear to
gether, although they may overlap in the
vicinity Of Michigan and Illinois.