Oct. 19, 1883.] 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



247 



LOCUSTS. 



HE districts of IMatheran and Mahableshwar, in the 

 Bombay Presidency, according to the Colonies and 



did, have been suftering from an invasion of locusts, 

 huge swarms of which have settled on the trees, which 

 appear to be covered with red foliage and clusters of red 

 flowers during the occupation, but when abandoned are 

 nothing but bundles of bare twigs. While the locusts are 

 on the wing, it is diflicult to make any impression on them, 

 although an Italian landowner, resident in Cyprus, has 

 destroyed vast numbers by placing in their path, soon after 

 they are hatched and still unprovided with wings, pits so 

 prepared that, after tumbling in, it was impossible for them 

 to get out. This, however, is only feasible during the 

 wingless stage, when the young locusts march across the 

 country in great columns, more than a mile in breadth. 



But the most radical treatment is that of destroying the 

 eggs, which, fortunately, are deposited, not singly, but in 

 masses in one place, generally on an uncultivated hillside. 

 The female inserts the eggs by means of a sword-like ap- 

 pendage, and sheds a glutinous matter for their protection ; 

 and, as traces of this may be seen glistening on the surface 

 of the soil, it aflbrds an easy clue for the searcher to dis- 

 cover their whereabouts. In Cyprus rewards have been 

 offered and taxes imposed with a view to stimulating the 

 peasantry to destroying the eggs, G2 tons of which were 

 brought in during 1868, representing 50,000,000,000 

 locusts, the result being that the pest disappeared for 

 several years. 



Enormous as is the destruction caused by the locust, 

 there is one advantage about it, viz , that it is edible — in 

 Arabia men and horses using it regularly as an article of 

 diet. By some of the natives they are eaten with oil after 

 being stripped of their legs and wings, but Lady Anne 

 Blunt, in her travels, was in the haVjit of boiling them and 

 dipping them in salt. Their flavour is described as savour- 

 ing of a vegetable, not unlike the taste of green wheat. 



Mr. T. R. Cuthbert E. Peek read a paper at the 

 recent meeting of the British Association, on the hot 

 springs of Iceland and New Zealand, with notes on Maori 

 customs. The author had recently visited the hot springs 

 of Iceland and New Zealand. Several most important 

 differences were noticed in their composition. In the case 

 of the hot mud wells of Iceland there is so much copper 

 suspended in the mud that several companies have been 

 started to work them commercially ; while tlie mud springs 

 of New Zealand are so full of infusoria that in times of 

 famine; the natives manage to sustain life on a diet chiefly 

 consisting of mud. Some of the New Zealand .springs con- 

 tain a very large percentage of mineral, and tlie analysis of 

 one of the most powerful was given. The hot springs of 

 New Zealand appear to extend from Mount Tongariro to 

 White Island. On April 25 Tongariro was oljserved to be 

 giving out more smoke than it had given out since 1870, 

 when a considerable eruption took place. The two most 

 remarkable objects in connection with the New Zealand 

 geyseis are the pink and white terraces. These consist of 

 regular steps, each of which forms a small basin full of the 

 clearest water. In the case of the white terrace the water 

 has a beautiful sky-blue appearance, while at the pink 

 terrace the whole is tinged with a delicate salmon colour. 

 The upper basin in each case is about eighty feet above the 

 level of Lake Botomahana. The whole country round is 

 covered with hot springs and mud wells, and the greatest 

 caution is required to avoid an accident, which would 

 probably be fatal. 



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THE GREEN SU\ IX INDIA. 



Indian Ocean, Lat. 9.25 N., Long. 65.16 E., 

 Sept. 10,. 1883. 



[961] — I write to yon an account of the very peculiar colour of 

 the sun this morning, and should be glad if you could advance any 

 theory for such an occurrence. The sun rose about sis o'clock this 

 morning, and upon appearing upon the horizon it was a bright 

 emerald green, and it retained the colour until it was some distance 

 in the heavens, although as it rose it gradually got a lighter shade. 

 There were very few clouds about, and those were of a light, fleecy 

 nature. There was another curious effect. The decks were being 

 washed, and the rays thrown upon the rails and hurricane-deck 

 were reflected of a pale emerald green. Last night was a fine sun- 

 set — some dark clouds lit up with crimson and bright orange shades. 

 The wind is light, and the sea quite calm. We have had no rain 

 since we left England — Aug. 16. We have two old sea captains 

 aboard, and they say never in their experience did they witness such 

 a phenomena. 



6.30 p.m., Sept. 10. 



Since writing this morning I have watched the sun set, and as it 

 approached the horizon it assumed the green shade, which inten- 

 sified the nearer it got to the horizon. We could not see it dip, as 

 some clouds at the moment obscured it. The light thrown upon 

 the back of the clouds was pale golden. We have lost the moist 

 atmosphere of the 8th and 9th September, when wo were in the 

 last of the monsoon, and knives and keys were rusted in the pocket, 

 and a pair of scissors left in a work-basket in the cabin would be 

 coated with rust in twenty-four hours. Sept. 11. — The sun rose 

 and set to-day of the same green colour. Sept. 12. — We had a 

 slight shower at 5 a.m. of only a few minutes' duration. The sun 

 again rose green in the W. and S.E. The sky was of a deep blue, 

 with some white opaque clouds that stood out in bold relief. In 

 the east there were some light tleecy clouds, and in the S.W. some 

 dark heavy ones that were discharging rain, but they were a long 

 way from ns. We are making about 5° of longitude east per day, 

 and i° of latitude. I shall observe the sun to-night and to-morrow 

 morning, and post this at Colombo to-morrow. Last night the sun 

 again set green. Sept. 13, 6 a.m. — Wo are just entering Colombo, 

 and the sun is rising the normal colour. One of the quartermasters 

 informs me that last evening the moon, when approaching the 

 horizon, assumed tho same green colour. No one hero on board 

 lias any theory to account for it. H. JI. J. 



S.S. Mirzapore. 



[We shall consider this subject specially next week, when more 

 evidence will be collected. — K. P.] 



GKEAT SUN-SPOTS AND SUN BLUE. 



[902]— On tho afternoon of Tluu'sday, October 11, a good deal 

 of foggy light cloud was drifting across the sun's face, making it 

 possible to take nakedoye views of tho luminary. I was surprised 

 to see distinctly two very large spots, and (I think) to glimpse a 

 third. 1 have unusually good sight, and have frequently seen 

 single naked-eye spots during tho past two years, but have never 

 seen two at onco before, nor do I know if the observation has often 

 been made. I took an opportunity some hours later of examining 

 tho sun with a small hand telescope, and was well rewarded for my 



