LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 113 



they fly off in swarms, headed, it is said, by a 

 king or leader, whose flight they watch, and 

 whose motions they observe. When he alights, 

 the whole swarm follows his example, and when 

 he rises, they rise also. It must be almost im- 

 possible, without seeing them, to form an idea 

 of the appearance of these great nights of locusts, 

 making a noise with their wings, as described 

 in Scripture, " like the rushing of horses unto 

 battle/' Whole fields of grain are destroyed 

 by them in a few hours ; the air is darkened 

 with their numbers, and the trees bend under 

 their weight. 



They always travel with the wind, which 

 frequently blows them toward the cea, and as 

 they are unable to remain long on the wing, 

 they are often obliged to alight upon the water, 

 and thus great numbers of them are destroyed, 

 and either become the prey of fishes, or are 

 washed back by the waves upon the shore. I 

 have read an account of a swarm of locusts 

 which passed over Italy, about one hundred 

 years since, which so obscured the sun at noon- 

 day, that people could not see each other's faces 

 a short distance apart. They were about four 

 hours in passing. 





