THE CICADA, OR OBASSROPPER. 



496 ^ THE AMERICAN LOCUST. 



tfiern, but kill as many as they can: accordingly they are mncb 

 respected by the peasants, and nobody is allowed to shoot them. As 

 to the southerly and south-easterly winds, they drive with violence 

 these clouds of Locusts over the Mediterranean, where such quantities 

 of them are sometimes drowned, that, when their bodies are thrown 

 on the shore, they infect the air for several days. 



OF THE CICADA IN GENERAL. 



These insects are found in various parts both of the New and Old 

 Continent, where they subsist 

 almost wholly on the leaves 

 of trees and on other vege- 

 table substances. They are 

 furnished with a hard and 

 horny proboscis or tube, in 

 which is contained a very 

 slender sucking-pipe. The 

 former is not much unlike a 

 gimlet in form, and is used by them in boring through the bark of 

 trees, for the purpose of extracting their juices. With this proboscis 

 they also bore holes in the small and tender twigs of the exterior 

 branches, in which they deposit their eggs, sometimes to the amount 

 of six or seven hundre<l. Each cell does not contain more than from 

 twelve to twenty, so that by this means they often do much damage 

 to the trees which they frequent. 



The chrrjsalids of these insects are not torpid, like those of many 

 others; but have six legs, and differ from the parent, in having only 

 the rudiments of wings. They are exceedingly active, and in general 

 run and leap about upon the trees with great sprightliness. 



The Cicadai of the hottest climates make the loudest noise. From 

 the papers of Mr. Smeathman, who resided a considerable time in 

 Africa, it appears that some are so loud, as to be heard to the distance 

 of half a mile; and that the singing of one of them in a room, will 

 immediately silence a whole company. Professor Thunburg says, 

 that one of the Javanese species makes a noise as shrill and piercing, 

 as if it proceeded from a trumpet. 



THE AMERICAN LOCUST. 



This species of Cicada is at all times common in Pennsylvania, 

 but at certain periods (generally of fourteen or fifteen years) the 

 numbers are so immense, that it has obtained the general appellation 

 of Locust. 



Towards the end of Anril these insects emerge from the ground, 

 and their appearance is always to be predicted by the swine searching 

 lor thftm. Tlie swarms are sometimes so great, that in the places from 

 which they have arisen, the earth appears nearly as full of holes as a 

 honey-comb. They always leave the ground during the night. On 

 their first coming out they are in the chrysalid state : but soon after- 



