LOCUST. 1 39 



this idea, the testimony of Hasselquist, who thus 

 expresses himself on this very subject. " They 

 who deny insects to have been the food of this 

 holy man, urge, that this insect is an unaccustom- 

 ary and unnatural food; but they would soon be 

 convinced of the contrary, if they would travel 

 hither, to Egypt, Arabia, or Syria, and take a 

 meal with the Arabs. Roasted locusts are at this 

 time eaten by the Arabs, at the proper season, 

 when they can procure them; so that in all pro- 

 bability this dish has been used in the time 

 of St. John. Ancient customs are not here 

 subject to many changes, and the victuals of St. 

 John are not believed unnatural here; and I was 

 assured by a judicious Greek priest, that their 

 Church had never taken the word in anv other 



tf 



sense ; and he even laughed at the idea of its 

 being a bird or a plant." 



Hasselquist 's Travels. Engl. Traml. p. 41 9. 



The Gryllus cristatus above-mentioned is a 

 highly beautiful animal; bein^ of a bright red, 

 with the body annulated with black; and the legs 

 varied with yellow: the upper wings tesselated 

 with alternate variegations of dark and pale green; 

 the lower with transverse, undulated streaks: the 

 length of the animal from head to tail is about 

 four inches, and the expanse of wings from tip to 

 tip, when fully extended, hardly less than seven 

 inches and a half. It is exquisitely figured in the 

 works of Roesel. 



Greatly allied to the preceding is the Gryllus 

 DILV, figured in the elegant work of Mr. Drury. 



