Chap. 35.] LOCUSTS. 35 



them, and they none of them have a tail, 20 with the exception 

 of the scorpion ; this, too, is the only one among them that has 

 arms, 21 together with a sting in the tail. As to the rest of the 

 insects, some of them have the sting in the mouth, the gad-fly 

 for instance, or the " tabanus," as some persons choose to call 

 it: the same is the case, too, with the gnat and some kinds of 

 flies. All these insects have their stings situate in the mouth 

 instead 22 of a tongue ; but in some the sting is not pointed, 

 being formed not for pricking, but for the purpose of suction : 

 this is the case more especially with flies, in which it is clear 

 that the tongue 23 is nothing more than a tube. These insects, 

 too, have no teeth. Others, again, have little horns pro- 

 truding in front of the eyes, but without any power in them ; 

 the butterfly, for instance. Some insects are destitute of wings, 

 such as the scolopendra, for instance. 24 



CKAP. 35. LOCUSTS. 



Those insects which have feet, move sideways. Some of 

 them have the hind feet longer than the fore ones, and curving 

 outwards, the locust, for example. 



(29.) These creatures lay their eggs in large masses, in the 

 autumn, thrusting the end of the tail into holes which they 

 form in the ground. These eggs remain underground 

 throughout the winter, and in the ensuing year, at the close 

 of spring, small locusts issue from them, of a black colour, and 

 crawling along without legs 25 and wings. Hence it is that a 

 wet spring destroys their eggs, while, if it is dry, they mul- 

 tiply in great abundance. Some persons maintain that they 

 breed twice a year, and die the same number of times; that 

 they bring forth at the rising 26 of the Vergiliae, and die at 

 the rising of the Dog-star, 27 after which others spring up in 



< *° Cuvier remarks, that the panorpis has a tail very like that of the scor- 

 pion ; and that the ephemera, the ichneumons and others, have tails also. 

 Aristotle, in the corresponding place, only says that the insects do not use 

 the tail to direct their flight. 



21 These are merely the feelers of the jaws. 



22 Not instead of, but in addition to, the tongue, by the aid of which 

 they suck. 



23 Evidently meaning the trunk. 



24 See B. xxix. c. 39. 



25 It is not true that the young locusts are destitute of feet. 

 2 * 7th May. 27 18ta j u i y . 



D 2 



