LOCUST. 1G3 



were ; for then, as the corn sown in spring 

 was pretty high, these creatures began to 

 spread over the fiekls, and become destructive 

 to the vegetables by their numbers. Then, 

 at length, the country people, who had 

 slighted the warning given them, began to 

 repent of their negligence ; for as these in- 

 sects were now dispersed all over the fields, 

 they could not be extirpated without injuring 

 the corn. At that time they differed little 

 or nothing from our common grasshopper, 

 having their head, sides, and back, of a 

 dark colour, with a yellow belly, and the 

 rest of a reddish hue. About the middle 

 of June, according as they were hatched, 

 sooner or later, they were generally a finger's 

 length, or somewhat longer, but their shape 

 and colour still continued. Towards the 

 end of June, they cast off their outward 

 covering, and then it plainly appeared they 

 had wings, very like the wings of bees, but 

 as yet unripe, and unexpanded; and then 

 their body was very tender, and of a yellow- 

 ish green ; then, in order to render them- 

 selves fit for flying, they gradually imfolded 

 their wings with their hinder, feet, as flies 



