68 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 
from his knees in saying “ZH gira nemeno’’—Notwithstand- 
ing this, it revolves! 
Another very general and very popular notion with re- 
gard to the Cicada is, that it is the same species, or at least 
the same genus, with that noxious insect mentioned in the 
Scriptures as one of the plagues of Egypt. This also is en- 
tirely incorrect. 
Eleven different names of injurious insects occur in the 
Old Testament, called in the Hebrew Arbe, Gob, Gobat, 
Gazam, Shagab, Chanamel, Chasil, Chargol, Jelek, Solam, 
and Pselatsal. 
Now in our English Bibles we find these words almost 
universally translated Locust, notwithstanding we have 
good reason to believe that almost all these insects men- 
tioned are, according to their external and internal con- 
struction, very far from being of the same nature with our 
Cicada, but rather belong to the Grasshoppers (Sauterelle, 
Heupferd). In the book of Deuteronomy, 28th chapter, 38th 
verse, we read, “Thou shalt carry much seed out into the 
fields, and shalt gather but little in, for the Locust shall 
consume it;’? and in verse 42d, ‘‘ All thy trees and the 
fruit of thy land shall the Locust consume.” Now we can 
not understand how it is possible that the Cicada, which 
with its proboscis sucks only the dew of leaves as its nour- 
ishment, and has no mouth with which it can masticate any 
thing, could occasion such immense ravages. But if we 
translate the Hebrew text, as Martin Luther did, with 
“< Heupferd” or “ Heuschrecke” in German, and with ‘ Sau- 
terelle” in French, which is ‘‘ Grasshopper” in English, des- 
ignating a very voracious insect, provided with two power- 
ful jaws, and an animal very common in Africa, Asia, and 
the East of Europe, as well as in some of our Western 
States and Territories, we readily perceive how it is possi- 
ble for such a creature to occasion famine and pestilence. 
This error in the translation, originating from ignorance 
