The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-01
Martinique and St Vincent may throw
some new light on this problem.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS, JR.
Copyright 1902


The rasping voice of the seventeen-y ear
locust renders hideoUs to the car a Cay
which is perfect to the eye. From a sky
more rarely blue after yesterdays storm
the warm sunshine falls caressingly over
the beautiful green earth, but the same
cool breeze which bears the fragrance of
the wild rose throbs with the incessant cry
of the legions of locusts. 1t sounds like a
be variously compared to the roaring of a
seashell held close to the ears, that mad
dening tuzz which follows repeated doses
of quinine, or the distant huzzas of the
crowd surrounding a baseball game. In the
short space of six weeks they must pro-
test sufficiently TO cover their pent-up ST.
lence which has lasted seventeen years, and
ii is quite natural that the males should
have the privilege of doing the talking for
the entire family. Wherever there are many
trees the chorus is heaviest, and clinging
to the undersides of the leaves of weeds,
shrubs, vines and trees are the discarded,
parchment-hued jackets which have
shrouded them during their torpor. Tht
ground under the trees, too, is thickly
strewn with them.
The small boy alone is delighted with thes
advent of the locusts, and catches them by
their gauzy wings and holds one close to
each ear, grinning with pleasure as they
buzz their loudest angrily. The minister
says he likes the roar of their united voices
and so does deaf grandpa, but the nerves
OF the farmers wife are quite unequal 10
the mOnOtOnOuS cry, day in and day out,
and she would fain go TO the town for
quiet, where the noise of the streets Is
nothing in comparison. An old gossip who
has a memory for traditions says they say
Pharaoh" and after tonsest listening one
Is able to recognize the resemblance to that
ancient persOnage's name. They prolOng the
first syllable TO an intOlerable length, cur
failing, yet emphasizing the final oh
The locusts appeal TO the appetite of the
farmers hens, and II Is at once amusing
and satisfactory to see what a number OF
buZZing victims thus silenced. But Ii
is hard work for the hen. AS the locust
rises from the grass she pursues al rapid
gait, with high expectation illuminating ner
cOuntenance, often to be left deeply disap-
pOinted-unlesS she happens TO jump into
the air at just the right moment The farm
dog, however, perhaps with the interests of
the farmer al his heart, simply bolts the
pests without investigating their flavor at
all
In what light the birds regard these in
terlOpers is matter for speculation. They
might well be deaf and dumb il we look
on their song as mere melody, and what
conversation they find necessary TO con-
duct domestic affairs properly must for
SOOth, be uttered at the tOpmost range Of
their voices. No singing school can be di-
rected under such circums tances. and Il
seems not unlikely that this seasons nest
lings Will be backward about talking"
The titmouse cheers at the top of his voice,
the tanager does not relinquish any oppor-
tunity 10 make himself heard. but these
sounds only sift through the locust roar
When there is an occasional lull in TIE
chorus the irds take advantage OF it, even
the little trilling field sparrow, but in gem
eral every other sound is totally obscured
and even the waggish utterances of the
persistent chat are lost OF all this kind
the whip-poor-will alone, when he comes
with The starlight, secures uninterrupted
silence. AS for the bird lover, his confusion
is complete. and all those delicate but
half-revealed hints which lead him TO small
delightful discoveries. are merged in the
bewildering. interminable roar OF the sew
enteen-year locust.