104 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



that numbers had escaped, acquired their wings, and had 

 already destroyed a great part of the vegetation. 



But the more majestic view of one of their flying swarms 

 presented itself to me in Asia, in the island of Phanagoria, 

 after having crossed the Black Sea at Panticapacum, the 

 modern city of Kertsch, on the Bosporus. This island is 

 the residence of the Cossacks of the Black Sea, who on that 

 account are called in the Russian language Tschernomorski, 

 " Black Sea Islanders." Soon after my arrival in that 

 country, and while continuing my travels, I saw before me, 

 at a distance of about five miles, near the city of Tutmara- 

 kan, several thick and solid columns, arising perpendicu- 

 larly from the ground, like the smoke of a volcano, which 

 at the height of five hundred feet assumed the form of 

 heavy, dark clouds, which soon covered the whole sky, en- 

 tirely intercepting all solar light. 



These apparent clouds were nothing but swarms of 

 Grasshoppers, which in a short time descended to the 

 ground with a shrill, whistling noise, covering an immense 

 area of land which a few hours before was clothed with 

 thick luxuriant grass, and in a few moments after was as 

 barren as a turnpike. 



This species of Grasshopper is over two inches long, and 

 of a light brown color. On account of its wandering life, 

 it was called by Linnaeus the migratory or wandering 

 Grasshopper (Gryllus migratorius). This is the same insect 

 as the one mentioned by Matthew in the 3d chapter, 4th 

 verse, where he speaks of John, saying " his meat was lo- 

 custs and wild honey," and it is even now a common arti- 

 cle of food among several Eastern nations, and particularly 

 among the Arabians. 



In the United States we have a large number of different 

 species of Grasshopper, whose characteristics are very sim- 

 ilar, and whose ravages would be very extensive, breeding 

 famine and pestilence, if they were allowed to increase and 



