216 MEANS OF DESTROYING THE GRASSHOPPER. 



illustrious nations in the world have not disdained to devote their time 

 and means to the destruction of this pernicious insect. 



In the Acropolis at Athens there stood a brazen statue of Apollo 

 Parnopius, who had driven the locust out of Attica ; but in what way, 

 the historian Pausanias could not learn. In other parts of Greece 

 Hercules was adored for the same reason. Pliny asserts that in Rome, 

 on account of the devastations of the locusts, recourse vras had to the 

 Sybiliine books. In Syria and Chaldea, the locust was dreaded only 

 about the end of the montli of June ; because, fearing as was supposed 

 the constellation of the Pleiades, it did not venture to appear until the 

 latter had set. 



In some parts of Italy the inhabitants hid themselves in their houses 

 when the locusts appeared, under the notion that they do injury only 

 when attention is directed to them or when an attempt is made to 

 drive them away. In Palestine and Mesopotamia, on the contrary, 

 every one went out to meet a flight of locusts when it came in sight, 

 and endeavored to drive them away vyith smoke from burning piles of 

 wood, with beating of sticks and rods upon the ground and in metal 

 kettles, with a noise of great musical instruments, shouting ^eracZ/ 

 jerdd!* and such like expedients. In Arabia and Egypt, they also 

 endeavored to frighten the locusts with cries of samarmog ! samarmog! 

 the name of their terrible enemy the rose-colored starling, at the same 

 time throwing sand towards the locusts, cursing, spitting, and work- 

 ing themselves into a fury, believing the insect to be exceedingly 

 timorous, selfish, cunning, and possessed of Heaven knows what other 

 qualities. 



That the locust is timid, is a fact known long ago. Stoikovitsh 

 informs us that some locusts once alighted in a tield of ripe grain. 

 The reapers immediately rushed forth, and began to sharpen their 

 scythes, in order to reap the millet. The locusts, frightened at the 

 noise, ascended the stalks, looking about to see what was the matter, 

 and when the reaping began, they flew away. 



In Austrian Galicia, in the year 1828, on the first receipt of the 

 news that the locusts were moving from the direction of Odessa towards 

 the frontier, the inhabitants hastened to harvest the grain wherever it 

 was possible. As soon as the insects appeared, the people met them 

 with shouting, noises, and the firing of guns and pistols ; and they 

 actually succeeded in driving them off towards the west. An hour 

 afterwards, another flight appeared more considerable than the first ; 

 and, disregarding all the noise of the assembled villagers, they began 

 to alight. Everything fell into confusion, and each one hied him to his 

 own tield or kitchen garden, so that the noise was diminished. Never- 

 theless, this flight also was driven into the woods. But an hour later, 

 the enemy's main army made its appearance, and unsparingly seized 

 upon the whole country for forty miles in circumference. The insects 

 were so ravenous, that in a quarter of an hour each one devoured 

 from eight to ten ears ; and so numerous, that, in the neighboring 



** The Arabic name of the locust. 



