The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-05-30
MARTROROUGH FRIDAY, MAY 80 1

not unfurled. They develop next,
growing into exquisite. gosamer nets
OF the most shimmery and irridescent
colors. AS they dry they assume a
rooted position over the locust's back
and the insect is perfectly formed.
With the first rays of the sun the in
sect loses his clear. cream color and
becomes dark. This is the last stage
of the chrysalis growth. The locust
is from that time fully developed.
WHY THEY WAIT SEVENTEEN YEARS.
The life of the new brood thus
brought into existence continues for
only few weeks. Ordinarily they
disappear suddenly in this locality,
about the first week in July, having
thus lasted about six weeks. In that
time the insects have mated and the
eggs of the next brood have been layed
in the tree branches where the insects
did their courting. These eggs hatch
after little and the young drop to
the ground underneath, burrow steadl-
" downward and form the neucleus OF
the ''pest" Of seventeen years later.
This long wait is required to bring
the new brood to maturity. All that
time this generation is growing at the
bottoms of the little tunnels formed
when the insects were born. In the
course of that growth they require
new shells. exactly as they do when
they spring into the world, an indef-
mite number of times, probably four or
five. 1t is this long stage of growth
underground which limits the locust's
appearance to scptendecimal years.
EATEN BY MEN AND BEASTS.
All this time the locusts have been
feeding on the vegetable diet furnished
by the roots near his little cave. He
is consequently tonthsome morscl to
the hog, which scents him whenever
he npars the surface, and to the birds,
which discover him after his change OF
form. But in 1885 modern mericans
began to speculate whether, on the
basis of his vegetable diet in compari-
l. Of ~
oyster, and after the custom of the
North American Indian, the locust
might not prove preferable food.
Accordingly, several scientists had a
'.mess" of them cooked. The following
is taken from a report on the expert
ment submitted to the chronological
Society of Washington soon afterward:
with the aid of the doctor S
(Ril, w cook he had prepared plain
stew, thick milk stew, and a broil.
The cira,lae were collected just rs they
emerged from pupae, and were thrown
into cold water, in which they remained
over night. They were cooked the
next morning and served at breakfast
time They impaired distinct and
not unpleasant flavor to the stew, but
were not at all palatablc themselves,
as they were reduced to nothing but
bits OF fabhy skin. The broll lacked
substance. The most palatable method
of cooking is to fry in batter, when
they remind one Of shrimps. They
will never prove a delicacy.
"Mr +. A. keleher, vino sampled
some of the dishes above described,
has informed the writer that he found
the cicadas fried in batter to be most
palatahle, and that he much preferred
them to oysters or shrimps.
That the cicada was eaten 10y the
red men OF America, both before and
after the coming of the colonists, is
indicated in memorandum. dated
l7l5, left 10y the Rev. Andrew Sandel,
of Philadelphia, who, referring to the
use Of locusts rs food in eastern Asia,
states also that the cicada is so used
bv the IndaEs DR.. Asa Fitch cor
roborates this statement, giving as his
authority Mr.. w. S. Robertson, who
informs him "that the Indians make
the different species of cicada an article
of diet, every Year gathering quantities
OF them and preparing them for the
table 10y roasting in a hot oven, stirring
them until they are well hrowncd"-
Washington Star.
"Poor child" exclaimed Mrs. Good
art, who had been touched 10y the ap-
peal to the extent of quarter, "and
how did this accident happen to your
fathel?'
WHY" replied the bright little girl,
she begged so much money one day
that he got drunk and was sent to
Jail"
"But You tod me bis arms were cut