30 



While the true American Locusts are commonly called * graeshoppers, and the true 

 orasshoppers are termed crickets, katydids, &c., another element of confusion is mingled 

 with our insect nomenclature by the common practice of {riving the name of locust to the 

 cicada, a. totally diffirent insect belougiiifr to an entirely diflferent order. The accompany- 

 ing illustration will shew the reader the difference between these three kinds of insects better 

 than any written description. Figure'30 represents different stages in the life of the Cicada or 

 so-called "Seventeen year Locust " (C. Seplem-decim Linn), a is the pupa ; b the empty pupa 

 case after the perfect insect has emerged from it ; c, the perfect or winged insect ; (/, the per- 

 forations in a twig for the deposition of eggs ; «, the egg. Figure 32 represents a katydid or 

 true grasshopper (Cyrtophyllmn concantm, Sav); and Figure 31 a true locust or so-called 

 grasshopper {CaJopicnus sprctus, Uhler). 



A single glance at these illus- 

 trations will shew the reader, the 

 main differences between the three 

 kinds of in.sects that we have been 

 referring to. We wish it, there- 

 fore, to be plainly understood 

 that in the account that follows : 

 we shall use the term " Loeuj^t " 

 in reference to the devastating 

 insect represented in Figure 31, which is so often called a " graashnpjier." 



History or the Locust ih America. 



From the various works that we have been able to con- 

 sult we gather that visitations of locusts have occurred on a 

 more or less extensive scale, from time to time, ever since 

 the Central and Western portions of this Northern Conti- 

 nent have been occupied by Europeans. Wo have no diflEl- 

 culty, then, in believing that from time immemorial these 

 destructive insects have played their important part in 

 maintaining the balance of animal and vegetable life in 

 accordance with the grand laws of the Omnipotent Creator. 

 The earliest notice that we have found of a visitation of 

 locusts refers back more than two centuries, to a period 

 much anterior to the discovery of the Mississippi River by 

 La Salle. In Gage's West Indies the following account 

 is given of one of these visitations in Guatemala in the year 

 1632 : — 



" The first year of my abiding there it pleased God to 

 send one of the plagues of Egypt to that country, which was 

 of locusts, which I had never seen till then. They wore 

 after the manner of our grasshoppers, but somewhat bigger, 

 which did fly about in numbers ,>o thick and infinite that 

 they did truly cover the face of the sun, and hinder the 

 shining forth of the beams of that bright planet. Where 

 they lighted, either upon trees or standing corn, there was 

 nothing expected but ruin, destruction and barrenness ; for 

 the corn they devoured, the fruits of trees they ate and con- 

 sumed, and hung so thick upon the branches tliat with their 

 weight they tore them from the body. The higliways were so covered with them that they 

 startled the travelling mules with their fluttering about their heads and feet. My eyes were 

 often struck with their wings as I rode along ; and much ado I had to .■^ee my way, what with 

 .1 montero wherewith I was fain to cover my face, what with the flight of them which we-e 

 itill before my eyes. The farmers towards the South .seacoast cried out, for that their 

 irtdigo, which was then in grass, w:is like to be eaten up ; from the Ingrnins of sugar the like 

 moan was made, that tlie young and tender sugar-canes would be destroyed ; but, above all, 

 grievous waa the cry of the husbandmen of the valley where I lived, who feared that their 



