﻿96 
  REPOET 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  stroy 
  a 
  field 
  of 
  grain, 
  and 
  after 
  they 
  had 
  devoured 
  it, 
  rise 
  again 
  and 
  resume 
  their 
  first 
  

   direction 
  which 
  they 
  had 
  left. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  here 
  alluded 
  to 
  is 
  Caloptenus 
  italicus. 
  

   Lalleinant 
  (I. 
  c.) 
  says, 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  Algerine 
  species 
  (A. 
  peregri- 
  

   num), 
  that 
  — 
  

  

  By 
  striking 
  their 
  wings 
  one 
  against 
  another 
  they 
  produce 
  a 
  loud 
  noise 
  resembling: 
  

   that 
  of 
  a 
  swarm 
  of 
  bees 
  when 
  heard 
  at 
  a 
  distance. 
  Gifted 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  strong 
  flight, 
  

   and 
  above 
  all 
  favored 
  by 
  the 
  wind, 
  the 
  locusts 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  pass 
  over 
  considerable 
  dis- 
  

   tances 
  without 
  repose. 
  Indeed 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  encountered 
  more 
  than 
  GO 
  leagues 
  at 
  

   sea, 
  even 
  at 
  the 
  Balearic 
  Isles, 
  and 
  upon 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Spain. 
  The 
  hotter 
  the 
  sun 
  the 
  

   stronger 
  and 
  more 
  rapid 
  is 
  their 
  flight. 
  

  

  He 
  also 
  states 
  further, 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  Sirocco 
  blows 
  and 
  is 
  strong 
  they 
  ap- 
  

   pear 
  to 
  accomplish 
  a 
  journey 
  of 
  20 
  leagues 
  in 
  a 
  single 
  day, 
  flying 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  at 
  a 
  very 
  great 
  height. 
  

  

  The 
  noise 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  locusts 
  of 
  the 
  Old 
  World 
  during 
  flight 
  is 
  

   frequently 
  mentioned 
  by 
  travelers. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  what 
  is 
  already 
  men- 
  

   tioned 
  on 
  this 
  subject, 
  we 
  may 
  add 
  that 
  Mebuhr 
  says 
  that 
  "the 
  noise 
  

   they 
  make 
  in 
  flying 
  is 
  frightful 
  and 
  stunning, 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  waterfall." 
  

   But 
  so 
  far 
  only 
  one 
  correspondent 
  has 
  mentioned 
  anything 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  

   in 
  reference 
  to 
  our 
  Western 
  locust. 
  

  

  5. 
  FLIGHTS 
  AT 
  NIGHT. 
  

  

  That 
  as 
  a 
  general 
  rule 
  swarms 
  alight 
  as 
  night 
  approaches, 
  and 
  wait 
  

   in 
  the 
  morning 
  until 
  the 
  dew 
  is 
  off 
  and 
  the 
  warmth 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  is 
  felt 
  

   before 
  starting 
  again 
  upon 
  their 
  journey, 
  is 
  so 
  well 
  established 
  in 
  refer- 
  

   ence 
  to 
  locusts 
  in 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  as 
  to 
  need 
  no 
  proof 
  here. 
  But 
  

   that 
  this 
  rule 
  has 
  its 
  exceptions 
  we 
  asserted 
  in 
  our 
  former 
  report 
  and 
  

   gave 
  there 
  some 
  reasons 
  for 
  entertaining 
  this 
  belief. 
  Further 
  investigation 
  

   of 
  this 
  point 
  has 
  served 
  not 
  only 
  to 
  confirm 
  this 
  opinion, 
  but 
  to 
  induce 
  

   us 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  exceptions 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  numerous 
  than 
  we 
  then 
  

   supposed. 
  This 
  fact 
  and 
  the 
  strong 
  probability, 
  or, 
  as 
  we 
  think 
  we 
  may 
  

   say, 
  certainty, 
  that 
  swarms 
  frequently 
  are 
  at 
  such 
  a 
  height 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  in- 
  

   visible 
  in 
  daytime, 
  are 
  absolutely 
  necessary 
  to 
  explain 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   phenomena 
  of 
  locust 
  movements. 
  We 
  should 
  therefore 
  be 
  led 
  to 
  this 
  

   belief 
  even 
  if 
  we 
  had 
  no 
  direct 
  testimony 
  on 
  these 
  points. 
  

  

  As 
  we 
  have 
  heretofore 
  seen, 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  flights 
  at 
  night 
  was 
  a 
  

   subject 
  of 
  discussion 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  days 
  of 
  Pliny, 
  who 
  held 
  the 
  affirma- 
  

   tive 
  in 
  opposition 
  to 
  some 
  authors 
  who 
  asserted 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  unable 
  

   to 
  fly 
  at 
  night 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  cold. 
  This 
  author 
  attempted 
  to 
  prove 
  

   his 
  position, 
  not 
  by 
  any 
  actual 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  point 
  made 
  by 
  him- 
  

   self 
  or 
  others, 
  but 
  from 
  the 
  supposed 
  fact 
  that 
  locusts 
  passed 
  over 
  the 
  

   Mediterranean 
  Sea 
  from 
  Africa 
  to 
  Italy, 
  and 
  hence, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  

   time 
  required, 
  must 
  necessarily 
  fly 
  at 
  night. 
  That 
  he 
  was 
  mistaken 
  in 
  

   reference 
  to 
  the 
  case 
  cited 
  as 
  proof 
  we 
  have 
  already 
  shown, 
  yet 
  we 
  think 
  

   he 
  was 
  correct 
  in 
  his 
  conclusion. 
  

  

  So 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  ascertain, 
  this 
  question 
  has 
  received. 
  

  

  