1790 The Zoologist — August, 1869. 



" In the year 591 a swarm of locusts traversed Italy from east to 

 west, and arriving on the sea-coast were drowned in such numbers 

 that the stench arising from their putrefying carcases caused a pesti- 

 lence that is calculated to have carried off a million of human beings 

 and cattle." — Motiffel. 



" In 1478 a migratory swarm visited Venetia, devouring every blade 

 of grass and every green leaf, starving the cattle, and causing a famine 

 of which thirty thousand human beings perished." — Id. 



" In 1650 a swarm of locusts traversed Russia in three columns : 

 they passed principally into Poland and Lithuania, where the air was 

 darkened b}' their numbers; they moved directly onwards devouring 

 corn both blade and ear, vines, pulse, willows and hemp : death at 

 last overtook them, and then their dead bodies were heaped on one 

 another to tlie depth of four feel." — Binyley. 



" In 1748 a swarm [of locusts] entered Europe by Transylvania, 

 flying just above the surface of the ground; they totally intercepted 

 the sun's rays, and rendered it so intensely dark, that one person 

 could not see another at a distance of twenty paces." — Philosophical 

 Transnclioits, vol, xlvi., p. 30. 



The Sugar-cane Ant {Formica saccharivora) . — Towards the end 

 of the last century, but I am unable to give the year from some little 

 confusion of dates, this apparently unknown, certainly unnoticed ant, 

 appeared in the West Indian Island of Granada : it was said to have 

 been imported, but from whence has not even been surmised (See 

 'Philosophical Transactions,' vol. xxx., p. 346) From Kirby and 

 Spence's Introduction of Entomology I make the following extract : — 

 "The insect appeared in such infinite hosts as to put a stop to the 

 cultivation of the sugar-cane, and a reward of £20,000 was offered to 

 any one who should discover an effectual mode of destroying them. 

 Their numbers were incredible. They descended the hills like tor- 

 rents, and the plantations, as well as every path and road for miles, 

 were filled with them. Many domestic quadrupeds perished in con- 

 sequence of the plague. Rats, mice, and reptiles of every kind 

 became an easy prey to them : and even the birds, which they 

 attacked whenever they alighted on the ground in search of food, 

 were so harassed as to be at length unable to resist them. Streams of 

 water opposed only a temporary obstacle to their progress, the fore- 

 most rushing blindly on to certain death, and fresh armies instantly 

 following, till a bank was formed of the carcases of those that were 

 drowned sufficient to dam-up the waters, and allow the main body to 



