INSECTS. 91 



edly appeared in great profusion upon the honey-locust, which has 

 been entirely stripped of foliage by these voracious insects. In the 

 night, and in rainy weather, they descend from the plants, and 

 burrow in the ground, or under leaves and tufts of grass. Thither 

 also they retire for shelter during the heat of the day, being most 

 actively engaged in eating in the morning and evening. About 

 the first of August they go into the ground and lay their eggs, and 

 these are hatched in the course of one month. The larvaB are slen- 

 der, somewhat flattened grubs, of a yellowish color,, banded with 

 black, with a small reddish head, and six legs. These grubs are 

 very active in their motions, and appear to live upon fine roots in 

 the ground. 



About the middle of August, and during the rest of this and the 

 following month, a jet-black Cantharis may be seen on potato- 

 vines, and also on the blossoms and leaves of various kinds of 

 golden-rod, particularly the tall golden-rod (Solidago altissima), 

 which seems to be its favorite food. In some places it is as plen- 

 tiful in potato fields as the striped and the margined Cantharis, 

 and by its serious ravages has often excited attention. These three 

 kinds, in fact, are often confounded under the common name of po- 

 tato-flies. These insects are taken, in considerable quantities, by 

 brushing or shaking them from the potato-vines into a broad tin 

 pan, from which they are emptied into a covered pail containing 

 a little water in it, which, by wetting their wings, prevents their 

 flying out when the pail is uncovered. The same method may 

 be employed for taking the other kinds of Cantharides, when they 

 become troublesome and destructive from their numbers ; or they 

 may be caught by gently sweeping the plants they frequent with a 

 deep muslin bag-net. They should be killed by throwing them 

 into scalding water, for one or two minutes, after which they may 

 be spread out on sheets of paper to dry, and may be made profit- 

 able by selling them to the apothecaries for medical use. 



GRASSHOPPERS AND LOCUSTS. Most grasshoppers are of a green 

 color, and are furnished with wings and wing-covers, the latter fre- 

 quently resembling the leaves of trees, upon which, indeed, many 

 of these insects pass the greater part of their lives. Their leaf-like 

 form and green color evidently seem to have been designed for the 

 better concealment of these insects. They commit their eggs to 

 the earth, dropping them into holes made for this purpose by their 

 piercers. They lay a large number of eggs at a time, and cover 

 them with a kind of varnish, which, when dry, forms a thin film 



