﻿FALL 
  OF 
  LOCUSTS 
  INTO 
  THE 
  SEA. 
  101 
  

  

  swarms 
  plunging 
  into 
  the 
  sea, 
  often 
  in 
  such 
  immense 
  numbers 
  that 
  when 
  

   thrown 
  upon 
  the 
  shore 
  by 
  the 
  waves 
  the 
  stench 
  arising 
  from 
  their 
  decay 
  

   produced 
  epidemical 
  diseases 
  among 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  residiug 
  in 
  the 
  vi- 
  

   cinity. 
  We 
  might 
  add 
  numerous 
  other 
  instances 
  of 
  a 
  like 
  character, 
  but 
  

   this 
  is 
  unnecessary, 
  as 
  our 
  object 
  at 
  present 
  is 
  only 
  to 
  call 
  attention 
  to 
  

   the 
  fact 
  and 
  suggest 
  a 
  possible 
  explanation 
  which 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   overlooked 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  written 
  upon 
  the 
  subject. 
  

  

  Koppen 
  202 
  says: 
  

  

  The 
  abundance 
  of 
  such 
  instances 
  lias 
  led 
  many 
  To 
  believe 
  that 
  they 
  fall 
  into 
  the 
  sea 
  

   not 
  from 
  an 
  external 
  cause, 
  but 
  from 
  an 
  inner 
  propensity. 
  Thus, 
  says 
  Erichson, 
  " 
  It 
  

   is 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  the 
  locusts 
  gladly 
  draw 
  toward 
  the 
  sea 
  and 
  there 
  become 
  the 
  spoil 
  

   of 
  the 
  waves. 
  It 
  seems 
  also 
  that 
  a 
  hidden 
  instinct 
  drives 
  these 
  animals 
  into 
  this 
  ele- 
  

   ment, 
  which 
  thus 
  in 
  great 
  masses 
  are 
  destroyed." 
  

  

  He 
  looks 
  upon 
  this 
  opinion 
  as 
  somewhat 
  hypothetical, 
  but 
  remarks 
  

   that 
  it 
  is 
  nevertheless 
  not 
  without 
  its 
  parallel 
  among 
  insects, 
  of 
  which 
  

   Aniaoplia 
  austriaca 
  presents 
  an 
  example. 
  

  

  Darwin's 
  explanation, 
  as 
  given 
  by 
  this 
  author, 
  is, 
  that 
  the 
  insects, 
  

   searching 
  in 
  vain 
  for 
  shelter 
  of 
  tree 
  or 
  hill, 
  are 
  driven 
  by 
  a 
  land-wind 
  

   into 
  the 
  sea 
  ; 
  an 
  explanation 
  which 
  Koppen 
  thinks 
  the 
  most 
  satisfactory, 
  

   as 
  it 
  suits 
  well 
  the 
  treeless 
  and 
  hill-less 
  steppes 
  of 
  Southern 
  Russia. 
  

  

  If 
  we 
  can 
  judge 
  correctly 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  other 
  

   locusts 
  by 
  what 
  wc 
  know 
  of 
  C. 
  spretus, 
  we 
  should 
  decide 
  unhesitatingly 
  

   against 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  the 
  locusts 
  have 
  any 
  propensity 
  to 
  plunge 
  into 
  

   the 
  water; 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  we 
  believe 
  they 
  avoid, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  flying 
  

   over 
  it, 
  and 
  only 
  do 
  so 
  when 
  driven 
  by 
  strong 
  winds 
  or 
  by 
  excessive 
  

   hunger. 
  

  

  As 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  hereafter 
  in 
  the 
  chapter 
  on 
  meteorological 
  influences, 
  

   and 
  as 
  indicated 
  in 
  our 
  First 
  Eeport, 
  203 
  a 
  sudden 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  tempera- 
  

   ture 
  or 
  humidity 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  has 
  a 
  tendency 
  to 
  bring 
  down 
  a 
  fly- 
  

   ing 
  swarm. 
  Whether 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  moisture 
  over 
  a 
  large 
  body 
  of 
  

   water 
  caused 
  by 
  evaporation, 
  and 
  the 
  difference 
  in 
  temperature, 
  as 
  com- 
  

   pared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  over 
  the 
  parched, 
  barren, 
  bordering 
  

   lands, 
  would 
  be 
  sufficient 
  to 
  sensibly 
  affect 
  the 
  locusts 
  may 
  be 
  doubted 
  : 
  

   but, 
  notwithstanding 
  their 
  apparent 
  hardiness, 
  they 
  are 
  extremely 
  sensi- 
  

   tive 
  to 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere. 
  Facts 
  already 
  given, 
  

   as 
  the 
  case 
  mentioned 
  by 
  Bowles, 
  where 
  a 
  swarm 
  varied 
  its 
  course 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  return 
  to 
  land 
  ; 
  the 
  similar 
  circumstance 
  mentioned 
  in 
  reference 
  

   to 
  the 
  flights 
  in 
  Australia, 
  and 
  others 
  of 
  a 
  like 
  character 
  which 
  might 
  

   be 
  quoted, 
  show 
  an 
  evident 
  desire 
  to 
  avoid 
  the 
  danger 
  of 
  tailing 
  into 
  the 
  

   water 
  where 
  the 
  danger 
  is 
  perceived 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  any 
  chance 
  of 
  avoiding 
  it. 
  

   A 
  strong 
  confirmation 
  of 
  this 
  fact 
  in 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  migrations 
  of 
  C. 
  

   spretus 
  is, 
  that 
  in 
  their 
  approach 
  -to 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mexico 
  in 
  their 
  flights 
  

   southward 
  through 
  Texas 
  they 
  have 
  always 
  stopped 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  from 
  

   the 
  shore. 
  It 
  was 
  reported 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  that 
  swarms 
  had 
  been 
  observed 
  

   passing 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  Gulf, 
  but 
  careful 
  inquiry 
  has 
  not 
  only 
  tailed 
  to 
  confirm 
  

   this, 
  but, 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  to 
  indicate 
  that 
  no 
  such 
  case 
  has 
  been 
  known. 
  

  

  *»Heusch. 
  Sud-Euss., 
  49. 
  a* 
  3 
  Page 
  182. 
  

  

  