ORTHOPTERA. 305 
blew they were driven into the sea, and their carcasses occasioned 
a plague which laid Barbary waste. 
India and China often fall victims to these destructive insects. 
In 1785 clouds of locusts hid from the Chinese both the sun and. 
moon. Not only the standing crops, but also the corn in the 
barns and the clothes in the houses being devoured. 
In the south of France locusts multiply sometimes so prodi- 
giously, that in a very short time many barrels may be filled with 
their eggs. They have caused, at different periods, immense: 
damage. It was chiefly in the years 1613, 1805, 1820, 1822, 
1824, 1825, 1832, and 1834, that their visits to the south of France: 
were most formidable. 
Mézeray relates that in the month of January, 1613, in the reign 
of Louis XIII., locusts invaded the country around Arles. In 
seven or eight hours the wheat and crops were devoured to the. 
roots over an extent of country of 15,000 acres. They then crossed 
over the Rhine, and visited Tarascon and Beaucaire, where they 
ate the vegetables and lucerne. They then shifted their quarters 
to Aramon, to Monfrin, to Valabregues, &., where they were 
fortunately destroyed in great part by the starlings and other 
insect-eating birds, which flocked in innumerable numbers to this. 
game. 
The consuls of Arles and of Marseilles caused the eggs to be: 
collected. Arles spent, for this object, 25,000 francs, and Mar- 
seilles 20,000 francs. 3,000 quintals of eggs were interred or 
thrown into the Rhéne. If we count 1,750,000 eggs per quintal,. 
that will give us a total of 5,250,000,000 of locusts destroyed in the 
ege, which otherwise would have very soon renewed the ravages of 
which the country had so lately been the victim. In 1822 were 
spent again, in Provence, 2,227 francs for the same object. In 
1825 were spent 6,200 francs. A reward of 50 centimes was given 
for every kilogramme of eggs, and half the sum for every kilo- 
eramme of insects. The eggs collected were burnt, or else crushed 
under heavy rollers. The gathering was entrusted to women and 
children. The operation consisted in dragging along the ground 
great sheets, the corners of which were held up. The locusts came 
and settled on these, and were caught by rolling the sheet up. 
In the territory of Saintes-Maries, situated not far from Aigues- 
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