208 LOCUSTRIA MIGRATORIA. CHAP. xi. 



two and a half inches long, and nearly as thick 

 as one's little finger ; their wings expanding to about 

 four inches in breadth. Nine of this size were found 

 by one individual in a turnip-field at the Stocket, near 

 Aberdeen. They were brought to me while I was 

 there with my first unfortunate Collection. But, large 

 though this may seem, it is nothing to others. We 

 are told that in India there are locusts of a yard in 

 length. I do not vouch for the fact ; it is no story 

 of mine. Pliny tells it ; and from him we have it. 

 Some found in the sea at Aberdeen were offered 

 there for sale as ' fleein' fish,' and no less a sum than 

 ten shillings was sought for them. Strange sort of 

 flying-fish this ! Truly it may have been said that 

 the entomological and ichthyological schoolmasters 

 were both abroad in those days. It may, how- 

 ever, be remarked, that something of a similar kind 

 took place amongst ourselves not very long ago, 

 so that we have little room to laugh at the Aber- 

 donians. A person having picked up a galerite (a 

 species of fossilised sea-urchin of the Cretaceous 

 system), near by our harbour, was showing it to some 

 individuals, when one of them, no doubt puzzled, 

 said, ' ! it's just something that somebody has made.' 

 But to return to the locusts. Those of which we have 

 been speaking arrived in the month of August 

 and the beginning of September. Now, this year it 

 would appear that something of the same kind had 

 taken place, as numbers have been picked up in 



