BOOK XI. XXXV. 103-106 



they are carried avvay in swarms by the wind and fall 

 into the sea or a marsh. This happens purely by 

 accident and not, as was beUeved by ancient writers, 

 ovving to their wings being drenched by the damp- 

 ness of night. The same people indeed have also 

 stated that they do not fly by night because of the 

 cold — not being aware that they cross even wide 

 seas, actually, which is most surprising, enduring 

 several days' continuous hunger, to remedy which 

 they know how to seek fodder abroad. This phigue 

 is interpreted as a sign of the wrath of the gods ; for 

 they are seen of exceptional size, and also they fly 

 with sucli a noise of wings that they are beheved to 

 be birds, and they obscure the sun, making the 

 nations gaze upward in anxiety lest they should 

 settle all over their lands. In fact their sti-ength does 

 not fail, and as though it were not enough to have 

 crossed the seas, they pass over immense tracts of 

 land and cover them with a cloud disastrous for the 

 crops, scorching up many things with their touch 

 and gnawing away everything with their bite, even 

 the doors of the houses as well. 



Italy is infested by swarms of them, coming Legisiaiion 

 principally from Africa, the Roman nalion having ^^^'^*^'^ '^''""* 

 often been compelled by fear of deai-th to resort 

 to remedies prescribed by the SibylHne Books. In 

 the district of Cyrene there is actually a law to make 

 war upon them tlu-ee times a year, the first time by 

 crushing the eggs, then the grubs and last the fully 

 grown insects, with the penalty of a deserter for the 

 man who shirks. Also in the Island of Lemnos there 

 is a rule prescribing a definite quantity of locusts 

 killed that each man has to bring in to the 

 magistrates. Also they keep jays for this purpose, 



497 



