USED FOR FOOD. 



and waters, deprived of the wings which enabled them, for a 

 moment, to escape their numerous enemies. They are now seen 

 as large maggots, and, from being the most active, industrious, 

 and sagacious of creatures, are become utterly helpless and 

 cowardly, and fall a prey to innumerable enemies, to the smallest 

 of which they do not attempt to offer the least resistance. Various 

 insects, and especially ants, lie in wait for them ; beasts, birds, 

 and reptiles, and even man himself, all feed upon them, so that 

 not one pair in many millions make their escape in safety, and 

 fulfil the first law of nature by becoming the parents of a new 

 community. At this time they may be seen running upon the 

 ground, the male pursuing the female, and sometimes two pursu- 

 ing one, and contending with the greatest eagerness for the prize, 

 their passion rendering them regardless of the many dangers with 

 which they are surrounded. 



13. Mr. Konig, in an essay upon these insects, read before the 

 society of naturalists at Berlin, says that, in some parts of the 

 East Indies, the queens are given alive to old men for strengthen- 

 ing the back, and that the natives have a method of catching the 

 winged insects, which he calls females, before the time of emigra- 

 tion. They make two holes in the nest ; the one to windward 

 and the other to leeward. At the leeward opening, they place the 

 mouth of a pot, previously rubbed with an aromatic herb, called 

 Bergera, which is more valued there than the laurel in Europe. 

 On the windward side they light a fire of stinking materials, the 

 smoke of which not only drives these insects into the pots, but fre- 

 quently the hooded snakes also, on which account they are obliged 

 to be cautious in removing them. By this method they catch great 

 quantities, of which they make with flour a variety of pastry, 

 which they can afford to sell very cheap to the poorer ranks of 

 people. Mr. Konig adds, that in seasons when this kind of food 

 is very plentiful, the too great use of it brings on an epidemic 

 cholic and dysentery, which kills in two or three hours. 



Mr. Sineathman says, that he did not find the Africans so 

 ingenious in procuring or dressing them. They are content with 

 a very small part of those which, at the time of swarming, or 

 rather of emigration, fall into the neighbouring waters, which 

 they skim off with calabashes, bringing large kettles full of them 

 to their habitations, and parch them in iron pots over a gentle fire, 

 stirring them about as is usually done in roasting coffee. In that 

 state, without sauce or any other addition, they serve them as 

 delicious food, and put them by handfuls into their mouths, as 

 we do comfits. Smeathman ate them dressed in this way several 

 times, and thought them delicate, nourishing, and wholesome. 

 They are something sweeter, but not so fat or cloying, as the 



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