28 HISTORY OF 



as the poor. In the countries where they are 

 eaten, they are regularly brought to market, and 

 sold as larks or quails in Europe. They must 

 have been a common food with the Jews, as 

 Moses, in the book of Leviticus, permits them to 

 eat four different kinds of this animal, which he 

 takes care to specify. This dish, however, has 

 not yet made its way into the kitchens of the 

 luxurious in Europe ; and though we may ad- 

 mire the delicacies of the East, we are as yet 

 happily deprived of the powers of imitation. 



Of all animals, however, of this noxious tribe, 

 the Great West Indian Locust, individually con- 

 sidered, is the most formidable. It is about the 

 thickness of the barrel of a goose-quill, and the 

 body is divided into nine or ten joints, in the 

 whole about six or seven inches long. It has 

 two small eyes, standing out of the head like 

 those of crabs, and two feelers like long hairs. 

 The whole body is studded with small excres- 

 cences, which are not much bigger than the 

 points of pins. The shape is roundish, and the 

 body diminishes in circumference to the tail, 

 which is forked into two horns, Between these 

 there is a sort of a sheath, containing a small dan- 

 gerous sting. If any person happens to touch 

 this insect, he is sure to be stung ; and is imme- 

 diately taken with a shivering and a trembling all 

 over trje body j which, however, may soon be put 

 a stop to, by rubbing the place that was affected 

 with a little palmrqil. 



From the Locust we descend to the Cricket,, 

 which is a very inoffensive and pretty anima}. 



