The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-06-30
YEAR L0CUSTS
INVADE MOUNTAINS
Country Around Mt. Elliott Springs
Reverberates With ShriII
Cries.

MI EilOll springs, nesting in the
mountains Of Augusta county, is COM
ing TO the front. While the place has
for years been noted as a summer re-
sort, where new life is infused, tired
and shattered nerves restored and
guests come away fat and healthy. this
year there is, in the mountains hard
by, something for the study of those
who care to make quest for informa-
ton.
Seventeen-year locusts are there in
swarmsr" said gentleman this morn
ing as he came to the newspaper office.
Ii was some excited or elated ac-
cording as one might view his eX-
preston. He brought several speci-
mems of the locusts along. They are
the real article-the full-grown in
sects having the wv or M (ac-
cording to the way one looks) on the
wings
Branches Of mountain trees were
brought along, and on these are to
he seen traces of the presence of the
pests. The thin, tender bark has been
split by the insects and the eggs are
deposited in the newly-formed wood.
Then the tWig dies, drops to the
ground, and in the usual seventeen
years the insects again appear.
Professor William Hough. of New
Zealand, who has been deVoting some
time to scientific research. when seen
today, said:
"Locusts! Why, 1 have never seen
so many The trees on the mountains
seem to have been blighted. for these
insects have attacked the branches
and the leaves have already withered.
turned red and are dry. The singing
by the insects is something one does
not hear every day. The sound re-
Sc hlnS &c ha Sl, ial-
of locomotive in the distance"
From Scientific Standpoint.
An office encyclodaedia thus dis
cusses the seVenteen-year locust:
Cicada septendecim, or seventeen
year locust (Linnaeus), insect belong
ing to the order of Hemiptera, divis-
ion HOmoptera. The specific name
septendecim alludes to popular be-
lief that II spends seventeen years IL
the imperfectly developed state. not
leaving the chrySalis till after that
period of larVal life. The united scien-
the and popular observations prove
that the insect has a certain degree
of periodicity in its Visitations, and
that seventeen years is approximately
the measure Of its term of absence
In its developed state il is black.
veins in wings and the anterior edge
of same. orange; eyes. red: rings
around body. orange; legs, orange:
wings expanded, two and one-half to
three and One-Quarter inches. The
markings on the wings form a rude
approach to the letters w and NJ
When they appeared. in 1885. in
Louisiana some of the people inter
preted these as meaning war with
Mexico. The complete insects leave
the ground between February and
July. They develop in great numbers:
the males soon die. it being question
able whether they ever take any
nourishment. The female dies soon
after laying her eggs; the eggs de
Velop and the larva, which is but one
sixteenth inch long, falls to the
ground and buries itself, to emerge
ultimately as a pupa. Owing to their
slow development. many perish befor,
reaching this stage. After the pup.
safe is attained they leave the earth
Climb the trunks OF trees. and the,
Undergo their final metamorDhose
he skin OF the pupa splits. and the
cicnda emCrSeS. Were they annual
.sltants they would do incalculabl.
injury; as il is, they destroy and in
lure much vegetation. as the larvae
attack the roots of plants. sucking the
Juice therefrom. Birds. insects and
animals prey upon the eggs and
larvae.