THE MIGRATORY LOCUST. 283 



violence these clouds of locusts over the Mediterra- 

 nean, where such quantities of them are some- 

 times drowned that, when their carcases are thrown 

 on the shore, they infect the air for several days, 

 even to a great distance. 



The annals of most hot countries are filled with 

 accounts of the devastations produced by the lo- 

 custs. They seldom now visit Europe in such 

 swarms as formerly ; yet in the warmer parts they 

 are still formidable. Those that have at uncertain 

 intervals visited Europe, within the memory of man, 

 are supposed to have come from Africa — Some of 

 them have at different times been seen in Britain, 

 and great mischiefs have been apprehended ; but, 

 happily for us, the coldness of our climate, and the 

 humidity of our soil, are very unfavourable to their 

 production : they therefore all perish, without leav- 

 ing a young generation to succeed them. 



Locusts, when they take toflight, seematadistance 

 like a dark cloud, which, as it approaches, almost ex- 

 cludes the light of day. It often happens that the 

 husbandman sees them pass over without doing him 

 any injury ; but in this case they only proceed to 

 settle on some less fortunate country. Wherever 

 they alight, they make dreadful havoc among the 

 vegetation. In the tropical climates their presence 

 is not attended with such destructive consequences 

 as in the southern parts of Europe; for in those the 

 vegetative power is so strong and active that an in- 

 terval of only a few days will sometimes repair all 

 the damage : but in Europe their ravages cannot be 



