Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-06-21
THE CIADAS ARE HERE
l7-YEAR LOCUSTS ARRIVE
DR.. Jennings, of Hopkins, Reports
That They Are Arriving.
PERFECTLY HARMLESS,HE SAYS.
Different From the Species That Causes
Havoc On the Western Farms and
in Nicaragua.

Mr. and Ms Cicada and all that vast
family of little cicadas that for seven
teen years have been buried in the soil
Of Maryland.awaiting their moment of
freedom, are scheduled 10 come
swarming into the State next month.
For this is the year OF the seventeen
year locusts. Already few Of them
have been emancipated for their spe-
cies have been found in various sec
tions of the suburbs. Dr. Herbert 5.
Jennings director of the geological lab
oratory. at Johns Hopkins. Baltimore.
is among those who have discovered
the seventeen year visitors. The 10
Gust was found under tree on his
home at Roland Park.
In several weeks time there viii
probably be thousands OF them in the
State" said Dr. Jennings They are
not TO be dreaded. though for they are
perfectly harmless, except perhaps for
/ the noise they make. They vii bore
their way through the ground where
they have been lying for seventeen
years, climb up the trunks of trees
and settle for the twigs This sort OF
cicada eats very little. and the twigs
from which they feed Will be hurt but
little by their visit They are short
livedtoo not many OF them living over
a few weeks
Or. Jennings explained that the sew
enteen-year loCusts that visit this
section of the country are very differ
ent form the sort of locust that leaves
havoc on the forms of the Western
states. 1t is this more belligerent sort
that has invaded the Atlantic Coast OF
Honduras turing the last ten days
According to the reports reaching
New Orleans from this section, the 10
Gusts have done millions of dollars
worth of damage TO the fruit and ce-
real crops in Nicaragua and are now
ravaging the banana plantations near
Ceiba. Persons from the invaded
countries declare that the swarms of
the pests were SO thick that they pass
ed like cloud before tie sun In
spots the ground was covered with
them to depth of several inches.and
they left the trees bare of both leaves
and bark.
An old superstition has it that the
coming of the seventeen-year locuste
presages war, the idea having arisen
from the verw clearly defined wv"
which is to be found on the back of
the insect The coming of the locust
this particular summer, while war
and rumors of war are broadcast
throughout the world, will probably
strengthen this old idea among the
superstitious ones.
Although the cicada is called harm
less by DR.. Jennings. it has many nat
ural enemies. for number Of crea-
lures look TO it for food. Among these
are several varieties of birds, who,
however, have TO be swift of fight in
order TO catch the locust, for it is said
to be a wonderfully nimble dodger.
Another enemy is the great bald hor-
net, which first stings the locust to
death and then carries il home for its
family to feast upon. Squirrels are
still other relishers of locusts for
their meals, and when they are keen
enough TO distinguish them from the
bark of the tree they pick them of
like nuts and eat them.
There have been times when per-
sons of this country have tried TO in
troduce the locust as a delicious con
tent for pie and other eatables. but
the movement to popularize them has
sgnally failed It is said. though.
that they are favorite tid-bits among
the Arabs, who eat them uncooked
when they are swarming the country
and dry them for use between seasons.
The periodical arrival of the seven
teen year locust has always been a
matter of more or less dispute among
scientists. some of the authorities
claiming that their emancipation from
the ground is more or less fortuitous
occurring sometimes every thirteen
years and sometimes every seventeen
years, and others insisting that the
seventeen year sort is entirely distinct
from the thirteen year variety.