THE LOCUST. 181 



A species in Tonquin West-Indian locust. 



In Tonquin there is a locust about the bigness 

 of the top of a man's finger, and as long as the 

 first joint. It breeds in the earth, in low ground ; 

 and in the months of January and February, 

 they issue from the earth in vast swarms. At 

 first they can hardly fly, so that they often fall 

 into the rivers in great numbers: however, the 

 natives in these months watch the rivers, and 

 take them up in multitudes in small nets. They 

 either eat them fresh, broiled on the coals, or 

 pickle them for keeping. They are considered 

 as a great delicacy in that part of the world, as 

 well by the rich as the poor. In the countries 

 where they are eaten, they are regularly brought 

 to market, and sold as larks or quails in Europe. 

 They must have been a common food with the 

 Jews, as Moses, in the hook of Leviticus, per- 

 mits them to eat four different kinds of this in- 

 sect, which he takes care to specify. 



The great West-Indian locust, individually 

 considered, is the most formidable of this nox- 

 ious tribe. It is about the thickness of a goose- 

 quill, and the body is divided into nine or ten 

 joints, in the whole about six or seven inches 

 long. It has two small eyes, standing out of the 

 head like those of crabs, and two feelers like 

 long hair. The whole body is studded with 

 small excrescences, which are not much bigger 

 than the points of pins. The shape is roundish, 

 and the body diminishes in circumference to the 

 tail, which is forked into two horns. Between 



