IXSECTS. 1^5 



brother naturalist and two intelligent ladies were soon enlisted. It was 

 amusing to note how, as the rather savory and pleasant odor went up from 

 the cooking dishes, the expression of horror and disgust gradually vanished 

 from the faces of the curious lookers-on, and how, at last, the head-cook — 

 a stout and jolly negress — took part in the operations; how, when the 

 different dishes were neatly served upon the table, and were freely par- 

 taken of with evident relish, and many expressions of surprise and satis- 

 faction by the ladies and gentlemen interested, this same cook was actually 

 induced to try them, and soon grew eloquent in their favor ; how, finally 

 a prominent banker, as also one of the editors of the town, joined in the 

 meal. The soup soon vanished and banished silly prejudice ; then cake-, 

 with batter enough to hold the locusts together, disappeared, and were 

 oronounced good ; then baked locusts, with or without condiments ; and 

 when the meal was completed with dessert of baked locusts and honey a 

 la John the Baptist, the opinion was unanimous that that distinguished 

 prophet no longer deserved our sympathy, and that he had not fared badly 

 on his diet in the wulderness." 



In 1863 locusts ravaged various parts of India, and Mr. C Home, a 

 fellow of the Zoological Society of London, experimented in locust food. 

 His description of part of his experience is amusing. " In the evening I 

 had asked two gentlemen to dinner, and gave them a curry and croquette 

 of locusts. They passed for Cabul shrimps, which in flavor they much 

 resembled ; but the cook having inadvertently left a hind leg in a croquette, 

 they w r ere found out, to the infinite disgust of one of the party, and the 

 amusement of the other." 



There is no probability that with us locusts will ever become a staple 

 article of diet. There is too much inborn prejudice, and too much reluc- 

 tance to try experiments in the gastronomic line to be overcome ; and yet 

 the fact that locusts are edible has an important bearing. During the 

 plague of 1874, many of the farmers were in danger of starving; while 

 had they known it, the very forms which destroyed their crops could 

 have been converted into a nutritious and palatable meal. 



Deagon-Flies and their Allies. 



This group is somewhat closely connected to the last by both structure 

 and development ; and some of the low^er forms usually assigned to it seem 

 to have as good a right to be considered as belonging to the other. Our 

 definitions are exact, but the specimens fail to fall in position as they 

 should: soniethina; is wrong, either in nature or in our cut-and-driec 

 systems. It has been the custom for many years in American works 



