THE MIGRATORY LOCUST, 287 



grew in it. They had devoured every blade of grass, 

 and every green herb except the reeds. — They are 

 not, however, without a choice in their food. When 

 they attack a field of corn just come into ear, this 

 gentleman says they first mount to the summit, and 

 pick out every grain before they touch the leaves 

 and stem. The insect seems to be constantly in 

 motion, and always to have some object in view. 

 When the larva?, for these are much more vora- 

 cious than the perfect insects, are on a march du- 

 ring the day, it is utterly impossible to turn the di- 

 rection of the troop which is generally with the 

 wind. Towards the setting of the sun the march 

 is discontinued, when the troop divides into com- 

 panies that surround the small shrubs or tufts of 

 grass, or ant-hills, and in such thick patches that 

 they appear like so many swarms of bees; and in 

 this manner they rest till day-light. At these times 

 it is that the farmers have any chance of destroying 

 them, which they are sometimes able in a great 

 measure to effect, by driving among them a flock of 

 two or three thousand sheep : by the restlessness of 

 these, great quantities of them are trampled to 

 death. 



The year 1797 was the third of their continu- 

 ance in Sneuvvberg ; and their increase, according 

 to Mr. Barrow's account, had far exceeded that of 

 a geometrical progression whose ratio is a million. 



For ten years preceding their present visit this 

 district was entirely free from them. Their former 

 exit was somewhat singular. All the full-grown in- 

 sects were driven into the sea by a tempestuous 



