182 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



drawing of the living animal, as much so as does the snake's 

 skin after he has left it. Thus these skins lay in immense 

 numbers under the trees, entirely empty, and perfect in shape. 

 The winged insects did not, so far as I could ascertain, eat any 

 thing. Motion and propagation appeared to be the whole 

 object of their existence. They continued about four or five 

 weeks, and then died." Previous to this event "the females 

 laid their eggs in the tender parts of oak branches, near the 

 extremities, making a longitudinal furrow, and depositing rows 

 of eggs therein. They then sawed the branch partly oif below 

 the eggs, so that the wind could twist off the extreme part 

 containing the eggs, and let it fall to the ground. In this way 

 they injured the trees extensively. The forest had a gloomy 

 appearance from the number of these extremities partially 

 twisted off, and hanging, with their dead leaves, ready to fall. 

 In a few weeks they were nearly all separated from the trees, 

 and carried their vital burdens to the earth, which was, cer- 

 tainly, well seeded for a harvest in 1838. I know of no other 

 damage which they did." " I believe the locusts appear in 

 different places, in different years, and understand that the 

 locust-year, in some places not far distant, is different from 

 their year in this town." This letter was accompanied by 

 specimens of the insects, in their various states, obtained and 

 preserved by Mr. Goodwin. 



The writer of an article in the "Boston Magazine" for 

 November, 1784, observes that Mr. Morton must have been 

 mistaken as to these insects, in saying that they eat up the 

 green things, which, from the structure of their mouths, we 

 now know could not have been the case. This writer also 

 records the appearance of these insects in 1784, and the place 

 of his residence, in which this occurred, is believed to have 

 been in the County of Bristol; which coincides with the 

 remark made by Mr. Goodwin, that in different places they 

 appear in different years. This remark is furthermore con- 

 firmed by the observations of various persons* who have 



* Among the authorities which I have consulted upon the history of the seven- 

 teen-year Cicada, may be mentioned the Rev. Andrew Sandel, of Philadelphia, 

 an abstract of whose account is given in the 4th vol. of Mitchill and Miller's 



