OF WASHINGTON, VOLUME XVIII, 1916 91 



The above menu, of course, sounds absurd, but is a raw oyster 

 more attractive, gastronomically, than a well prepared locust? 

 I say 'well prepared locust/ for nothing favorable can be said of 

 illy prepared concoctions such as an unauthenticated account 

 credits certain Indians with using, that is, fatty juices dipped 

 from decayed masses of locusts and eaten as a salad. There is a 

 justified vagueness as to the details of this practice but such salads 

 need not be compared with the undoubtedly tasty and nutritious 

 preparations civilized man might enjoy could he only overcome 

 prejudices and eat insects. Chemical analysis shows locusts to 

 possess a high nutritive value, 45 we have divine permission from 

 the Bible to use them as food, 46 and they are admittedly tasty 

 morsels, therefore why, indeed, not eat them? 



My final topic, Orthoptera directly affecting man's psychic 

 nature beneficially, is one of some importance. Man's aesthetic 

 nature is appealed to by the beauty of many forms, his music- 

 loving soul is soothed by their song and his sporting proclivi- 

 ties are gratified by contests of strength and valor between pug- 

 nacious males of certain species. 



As objects of beauty a considerable number of Orthoptera are 

 rivaled only by the most brilliantly colored butterflies. For ex- 

 ample, certain giant lobe-crested grasshoppers of South America 

 have the under wings brilliant with various hued tints, so blended 

 as to incite the admiration of the most stolid observer. Certain 

 mantids of the Old World are so constructed in form and color 

 as to resemble brightly colored orchids. There are also many 

 Orthoptera of more somber hues which are objects of admiration 

 by reason of their wonderful forms, some exhibiting a marvellous 

 array of spines and flanges, and others are so constructed as to 

 perfectly mimic in form or color certain objects, as bark, twigs, 

 etc. Our common walking stick insect resembles, when at rest, 

 the twigs among which it lives so perfectly as to merit our appre- 

 ciation. Still other Orthoptera, which are neither brilliant in 

 color nor striking in structure, are objects of interest by reason 

 of their gracefulness of form or agility of motion. 



The songs of insects has been enjoyed and applauded by man 

 since the dawn of history and among our musical insects the 

 Orthoptera are dominant. So musical are the notes of some of 

 our orthopterous songsters that it is difficult to express their 

 melody. The rhythmic beat of the tree-cricket has been termed 

 by Burroughs as a "slumberous breathing," while Hawthorne 

 describes it an "audible silliness" and declares that "if moon- 

 light could be heard it would sound like that." 47 



45 Howard, 1st Kept. Locust Bur., p. 63-69 (1907). 

 'Leviticus, Chapter xi, p:ir. l_':_>. 

 17 McNeill, Ent. Anier., vol. v, p. 103 (1889). 



