100 GRILLTD^ — GRASSHOrPERS. 



An item dated Tuesday, Aug. 21st, 1742, in the Gentle- 

 man's Magazine, states: "Great damage has been done to 

 the pastures in the country, particularly about Bristol, by 

 swarms of Grasshoppers ; the like has happened in Penn- 

 sylvania to a surprising degree."^ 



A common species in Sweden, the Decticus verrucivorus, 

 is employed by the native peasants to bite the warts on their 

 hands ; the black fluid which it emits from its mouth being 

 supposed to possess the power of making these excrescences 

 vanish.^ This black fluid, from whatever Grasshoppers it 

 may be emitted, is called by our boys " tobacco spit," which 

 it much resembles ; and they attribute to it also a wart- 

 curing quality. When they catch one, they hold it between 

 the thumb and fore-finger, and cry out, — 



Spit, spit tobacco spit, 

 And then I'll let you go. 



The exuviae of a Grasshopper called Semmi or Sebi, 

 Kemplfer tells us, are preserved for medicinal uses, and sold 

 publicly in shops both in Japan and China.^ 



Dr. James, quoting Dioscorides, says : " Grasshoppers 

 (Locusia Anglica minor, vulgatiasima, Raii Ins. 60.) in a 

 suftumigation relieve under a dysury, especially such as is 

 incident to the female sex. The Locusta Africanus is a very 

 good antidote against the poison of the Scorpion."^ 



After describing the Grasshopper of Italy, Brookes says : 

 "It is often an amusement among the children of that coun- 

 try to catch this animal; and, by tickling the belly with 

 their finger, it will whistle as long as they chuse to make it."^ 



In France, Grasshoppers are called Sauterelles, Hoppers ; 

 and in Germany, Heupferde, Hay-horses, because they gen- 

 erally feed on grasses, and their head has something of the 

 form of a horse's head. 



If Grasshoppers appear early in the summer in great 

 numbers, they foretell famine and drouth, — a superstition 

 obtaining in Maryland. 



1 Gent. Mag., xii. 442. 



2 Good, Study of 3Ied., iv. 515. 



3 Pinkerton's Vo7/. and Trav., vii. 705. 



4 Med. Diet. 



5 Nat. Hist, of Ins., p. 67. 



