Insects that have afforded Food to Man. 147 



nated by Mr. Kirby Tyrophagiis caseus. Cheese lovers are 

 particularly partial to cheese attacked by them ; and I have heard 

 it asserted by such persons, that flies never attack a poor cheese. 



Since this paper was readj I have received an anonymous note 

 from some kind Entomologist, with a valuable reference, which 

 I take the liberty of adding, and at the same time beg leave to 

 thank the nameless individual for his communication. 



In Arundel's discoveries in Asia Minor, there is a remarkable 

 passage attesting the utility of the levee-en-masse, when called 

 out to destroy locusts. 



" In May 8th, 1827. — Left Bainder at seven o'clock, accom- 

 panied by all the great Turks, and armed from head to foot with 

 muskets, pistols, and yatagans, in grand procession, to extermi- 

 nate the locusts. I was awoke at a very early hour by the 

 Turkish tambour, which was beating a summons for the entire 

 population, Turk, Christian, and Jew, to rise en masse and sally 

 out to destroy these destructive insects ; arrived on the field of 

 action about eight o'clock, the hedges were darkened by the 

 masses of locusts, though not of more advanced growth than a 

 large fly. Hundreds of people vvere to be seen, Turks, Jews, 

 Greeks, and Armenians, grouped in all directions, brushing the 

 locusts together in immense heaps with buslies, &c. at the beat of 

 the tambour, and then with a thundering hurrah jumping upon 

 the heaps and killing them. Other parties took a different mode 

 by sweeping the masses into a small stream, where, like immense 

 swarms of bees clustered together, they sank to the bottom." — 

 Vid. vol. ii. p. 290, Discoveries in Asia Minor, by F. V.J. Arun- 

 del, British Chaplain at Smyrna. 



In addition to the above passage referred to by my anonymous 

 friend, I quote another remarkable passage from Thornton, 

 wherein he states that locusts are dispersed by report of cannon 

 and smoke of powder. " The locusts," he relates, " the curse to 

 which countries are most exposed, where nature has been most 

 prodigal of her gifts, sometimes infest and spread desolation over 

 this delightful region (Moldavia). They even pass the lofty ridge 

 of the Carpathian mountains and light upon Transylvania, where 

 a provident government has called out its regiments to disperse 

 and destroy them with the report of cannon and the smoke of 

 gunpowder." — Vide Thornton's Turkey, vol, ii. p. 32Q. 



