AUGUST. 235 



vastating migratory locust (Locusta Migratoria,) 

 which, with other large species of the same 

 genus, make such tremendous havoc with every 

 green thing in more southern latitudes. The 

 smaller species, to the number of more than 

 twenty, are found in this country, and towards 

 the end of the summer months tend to enliven 

 by their chirpings almost every heath and dry 

 bank in the kingdom. Grasshoppers were held 

 in high estimation by the Egyptians and Greeks 

 for their musical powers. Kirby and Spence 

 contend that these were Cicada? ; but if we 

 are to believe certain ancient gems in the 

 Florentine Gallery, they were clearly of the 

 genus Locusta, to which our grasshoppers be- 

 long ; and this fact is confirmed by Kirby and 

 Spence themselves, in Vol. II. page 401, where 

 they inform us, that in Spain "people of fashion 

 keep these animals — called there Grillo — in 

 cages, which they name Grilleria, for the sake 

 of their song." 



They add that — " Tettigonia, F., called by 

 the Ancient Greeks — by whom they were often 

 kept in cages for the sake of their song — Tet- 

 tix, seem to have been the favourites of every 

 Grecian bard, from Homer and Hesiod to Ana- 

 creon and Theocritus — supposed to be perfectly 

 harmless, and to live only upon dew ; they were 

 addressed by the most endearing epithets, and 



