METEOROLOGICAL SYNOPSIS. ]27 



crop of potatoes and peas was almost destroyed, while Indian corn had 

 made adequate progress in the hot weather. Hut the copious rain chan<.'ed 

 the face of nature. Grass at once sprung up with the greatest rapidity, 

 and the fall crops were far larger than had been anticipated. Peaches 

 were more plenty, pears and quinces also; and apples, wliicli were too small 

 to be promising in the first week of September, became abundant, so that 

 thousands of barrels were sent to northern and eastern markets, and 

 especially to the city of New-York. Usual yield of Indian corn. 



The year has been relatively healthful; and the general prosperity of the 

 people, in iheir great and leading pursuits and business, demands ^rrati- 

 tude and praise. 



THE HARVEST FLY EVERY SEVENTEENTH YEAR. 



We have two spc>cies of the Harvest Fly over our country, commonly 

 called Locusts, but improperly for obvious reasons. The Locust has a 

 mouth and jaws for eating leaves ; but the Harvest Fly (Cicada) has 

 only a short tube or aucker for obtaining its food. One species of these 

 appears annually over the Northern States in the last part of July, and 

 continues for a few weeks, but it is always in very limited numbers ; and 

 this is called the Dog-day Harvest Fly, or Cicada canicularis of Dr. 

 Gould. Another species appears once in seventeen years, and is hence 

 named Cicada septem-decem by Linnaeus, in the same localities in a 

 given tract, in vast numbers ; the buzzing drumlike noise of the males 

 filling the air, to the annoyance of the people within a half mile. In about 

 four weeks the eggs are laid in the younger twigs of the oak, if present ; 

 and if not, on other trees, the apple, &c. The localities in this part of the 

 State are in several counties, often only a few miles apart ; as in Monroe 

 county at Brighton and Mendon, and many more ; in Livingston, Wayne, 

 Onondaga, Ontario and Cayuga counties, in all of which the Seventeen 

 Year Fly appeared in 1814, 1831, 1848 and 18G5. The grubs come to 

 the surface of the earth in the last week in May or the first week in June ; 

 and at Mendon, in the last year, had all appeared by the 11th of June. 

 In Ohio their appearance at Marietta was in 1795, and in the following 

 seventeenth year regularly ; in Pennsylvania, in 1715, and then in each 

 seventeenth year to 1851 ; in Sandwich, Mass., in 1787 and every seven- 

 teenth year to 1855 ; in Maryland in other series of years ; and in South 

 Carolina and Georgia in still another series. In each locality the appear- 

 ance is regularly each seventeenth year, though a straggler is sometimes 

 seen in other years. These Harvest Flies probably feed on the mucilage 

 or honcydew of the leaves, by means of their tube or sucker. They can 

 •not eat the leaves or wood, being destitute of mouth and jaws ; and it is 

 not yet ascertained that they do any injury to vegetation. 



