336 INSECTS ABROAD. 



a locust, and, strantiely enough, the first flight visited my station 

 when Dr. Jerdon, who had been very many more years than I 

 had been a resident, was staying with me, and he too had never 

 witnessed a visit of these insects. It was on September 13, 

 1863, when just after luncheon it suddenly became quite dark, 

 and the servants coming in, told us that the locusts had arrived, 

 and so we went out to see them. 



"The whole sky, as far as the eye could reach, in every direc- 

 tion, was full of them. They flew from the north-east at a great 

 pace, with a strange rustling, filling the air with sound, which 

 seemed to come from every point, and were much scattered 

 in their flight, which ranged from thirty to two hundred feet 

 from the ground. The wind at the time was blowing from 

 the north-east, and they were borne along upon it Pre- 

 sently we noticed them returning, having been turned by a 

 storm of wind and rain which was coming up from the south- 

 west, and which advanced to within a quarter of a mile of the 

 place where we were standing. They faced round, and every- 

 one they met turned with them and hurried towards the north- 

 east, as did those which had alighted in the trees. 



"About ten minutes or a quarter of an hour after tliis, there 

 came up a heavy storm of wind and rain from the novtli-east, 

 with a little thunder and lightning. This again turned them, 

 and they were floating rapidly past, when a terrific downpour of 

 rain obscured all from our view, and caused tliem to settle on 

 every tree in wdiicli they could find shelter. 



"One emli, or tamarind tree, standing in the middle of a largo 

 field, was so covered with them, that at a little distance, insteail 

 of the brillant green for which this tree is noted, it appeared of a 

 dull red. Next morning there was not a leaf left, only bare twigs, 

 while under the tree there must have been half an inch deep of 

 excreta. . . . About 10 a.m. many thousands were flying about, 

 and T expected great damage. The sun however came out, and 

 with dried wings they all departed. Th(\y first rose into the air 

 like pigeons, gyrated a little, and then went straight off to the 

 north-west. The whole of this flight, from a careful examination 

 we made, appeared to have been young males. 



" On the 16th September there were three more large flights, 

 extending for miles, but a very few settled ; little harm wa.** 

 done to the crops. The appearance of a flighr on tho hoinzmi 



