xU INSECTS. 



are enveloped by a covering, and crack on being prefTed between the 

 fingers : their fubflance within is a whitiih, vifcous, and tranfparent 

 fluid; they remain depofited beneath the earth during winter, till Tpring 

 begins to hatch them. In May, every egg produces an infedt the fize of 

 a flea ; at firft, whitifli ; after cwo or three days they turn black ; foon 

 after, a reddifli brown. They appear from the beginning like grafshop- 

 pers wanting wings, and hop among the grafs with great agility. The 

 wings are concealed within four little bunches, that feem to deform the 

 fides of the animal, rolled, up mofl: curioufly in the fmalleft fpace. 

 Above twenty days after its exclufion, it prepares for emancipation, 

 ceafes from its grafly food, and feeks a convenient place beneath fome 

 thorn or thiftle, that may protect it from a fliower ; fufi^sring the fame la- 

 borious writhings and workings, heavings and palpitations, as other in- 

 fers. At length, the fkin covering the head and breaft divides above 

 the neck; the head iflues out firfl: from the burfting fl<:in, the other parts 

 follow. Thus difengaged, it appears perfeft, but feeble, foft and tender : 

 it may be molded like wax. It is now a greenifh white, which becomes 

 more vivid as the moifl:ure on the furface is dried away. Spent and fa- 

 tigued with its labour for more than an hour together, it fliews no fign of 

 Jife; but the body is drying ; and the wings, fold after fold, opening to 

 the fun, at laft become longer than the hind legs ; the body alfo is 

 lengthened, and becomes much more beautiful, 



Thefe infecls are generally vocal in fummer, and at fun-fetting louder 

 than during the heat of the day. They feed on grafs. Unwilling to fly, 

 and flow in flight, particularly when the weather is moift or cool, yet they 

 fometimes fly to conflderabledifl:ances. If caught by one of the hinder 

 legs, they leave the leg behind them : this does not grow again, but 

 prevents their flying ; for, being unable to lift themfelves in the air, 

 they have not room on the ground for proper expanflon of their wings. 

 If handled roughly, they bite fiercely ; aild when they fly, make a noife 

 •with their wings. They generally keep in the plain, where the grafs is 

 luxuriant, and the ground rich and fertile : there they depofit their 

 eggs, particularly in thofe cracks which are formed by the heat of the fun. 



The larger kinds only differ in fize, in rapidity of flight, and their 

 powers of injury, by fwarming on the produdions of the earth. When a 

 fwarm of Locusts, two or three miles long, and feveral yards deep, 

 fettle on a field, the confequences are terrible. Though they feldom 

 vjfit Europe in fuch dangerous fwarms as formerly, yet in fomc of the 

 fouthern countries they are ftill formidable, 



2. The 



