Evening journal., 1902-05-12

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hardly be said; they cannot even de-
fend themselves against an ant on fly.
When the spring OF the appointed
year arrives, the locusts emerge from
the ground with a rush, as it were, and
climb upon every available tree or
other elevation. They are in such
vast numbers sometimes that one cam
not step on the ground anywhere with
out crushing several as they come out
of their holes. The unanimity with
which ali those that rise within GER
tain radius of a given tree crawl in a
bee-line to the trunk of that tree is
most interesting. Scambling over the
ground, they all converge to one CEN
trail point, and then in a steady stream
scamble up the trunk, diverging again
on the branches
They begin to come out of the ground
at sunset and continue until about 8
o'clock, when the great majority OF
them have emerged. After ascending
the tree-trunk they crawl along the
branches and fasten themselves in Sc
cure position, where they proceed to
transform. Presently the skin splits
down the middle of the thorax. and
the winged cicada begins to appear.
There are few more beautiful sights
than that of a large number of these
locusts clinging and clustering upon
the bOughs of tree, which, as the
l0cuets come cut of the pupae cases.
locks for all the world as though il
were full of exquisite white blossoms
in various stages of expansion.
In escaping from the soil the insect
burrows directly upward, and under
ordinary conditions energies directly,
leaving a small round hole about the
size of a mans little finger. Under
certain circumstances, however the
pupae construct little cones of CHM
neys of earth above the surface of the
soil, Gaping them over and occupying
them for several weeks before the time
of issuing. These structures, which
have been variously called 'ihuts, q"
towers" "chimneys," and "adobe
dwellings" are most curious and some
times millions of them will be found
in small space of ground. They are
built of soft pellets of clay OF mud
brought up from below and pressed
| firmly into place the towers" being
well rounded and firmly compacted on
the inside. The marks of the claws OF
the little occupants are sometimes
plainly visible and leaves and sticks
are often Incorporated with the ma
terial of the walls. 1t is believed that
the cicada build such huts on occa-
sions when the warmth of spring has
come unusually early, inducing them
to climb up near to the surface of the
ground
The female cicada in her fledged
state lcses no time in the laying of
her eggs, of which she deposits from
400 to 600 in the cuts made with her
ovipositor in the bark of twigs. Sew
oral of these nests she makes in a row
ordinarily, putting a few eggs in each.
By the time the process is completed
she is so weak that she falls TO the
ground and soon perishes, or falls a
victim to one of her natural enemies
The eggs remain in the twig for six OF
seven weeks. when the young larvae
are Matched out and dropped to the
ground, into which they Immediately
burrow for their sleep of seventeen
Years.
/ Experiments were made by Chief
/ Entomologist Howard in 1885 for the
purpose of ascertaining what the edible
qualities Of cicadas might be. They
were prepared in a plain stew, a milk
stew. and a broil. being collected in
the evening just as they emerged from
the pupa cases. Being left in cold
water over night they were cooked the
next morning and served for breakfast
IT was decided that they impaired a
distinct and not unpleasant flavor tc
the stew. though by no means palat,
lable themselves. The best method Of
cooking them is to fry them in butter
when they remind one Of shrimps.
Warnings were sent out by th'
i State Commissioners Of Agriculture al
over the Northern and Eastern part
of Che United States against the grea'
swarms of seventeen-year locusts.