﻿[64] 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  In 
  their 
  native 
  regions, 
  where 
  the 
  summer 
  is 
  hot 
  and 
  the 
  herbage 
  abundant, 
  their 
  

   multiplication 
  is 
  excessive, 
  and 
  a 
  fair 
  and 
  dry 
  season 
  is 
  best 
  adapted 
  to 
  their 
  emigra- 
  

   tions; 
  sometimes 
  they 
  fly 
  even 
  to 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  Switzerland; 
  which 
  puts 
  me 
  in 
  mind 
  

   of 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  troops 
  of 
  the 
  renowned 
  Charles 
  XII, 
  when 
  they 
  traversed 
  Bessara- 
  

   bia, 
  believed 
  themselves 
  overtaken 
  one 
  day 
  by 
  a 
  hurricane, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  a 
  terrible 
  

   hail-storm, 
  when 
  a 
  vast 
  swarm 
  of 
  locusts, 
  which 
  darkened 
  the 
  sun, 
  began 
  to 
  fall, 
  cov- 
  

   ering 
  men 
  and 
  horses 
  and 
  arresting 
  the 
  whole 
  army 
  on 
  its 
  march. 
  

  

  Their 
  voracity 
  is 
  most 
  surprising. 
  Grundler 
  placed 
  some 
  locusts 
  under 
  a 
  globe 
  of 
  

   glass, 
  in 
  which 
  some 
  freshly-plucked 
  stalks 
  of 
  barley 
  had 
  been 
  placed. 
  They 
  first 
  cut 
  

   the 
  stalks 
  in 
  two, 
  then 
  devoured 
  from 
  top 
  to 
  bottom 
  all 
  that 
  remained 
  at 
  their 
  feet, 
  

   and 
  then 
  consumed 
  every 
  vestige 
  of 
  what 
  fell 
  on 
  either 
  side, 
  with 
  their 
  greedy 
  jaws, 
  

   and 
  all 
  this 
  with 
  an 
  avidity 
  and 
  agility 
  that 
  cannot 
  be 
  described. 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  

  

  And 
  yet 
  I 
  think 
  that 
  the 
  damage 
  produced 
  by 
  each 
  locust 
  would 
  scarcely 
  merit 
  the 
  

   attention 
  of 
  the 
  agriculturist, 
  if 
  they 
  only 
  came, 
  like 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  insects, 
  in 
  small 
  

   numbers. 
  But 
  when 
  their 
  swarms 
  are 
  composed 
  of 
  innumerable 
  legions, 
  similar 
  to 
  

   dense 
  clouds, 
  falling 
  from 
  the 
  sky 
  by 
  their 
  own 
  weight, 
  and 
  accompanied 
  by 
  the 
  most 
  

   active 
  powers 
  of 
  devastation 
  and. 
  a 
  surprising 
  agility, 
  they 
  carry 
  with 
  theni 
  the 
  dis- 
  

   astrous 
  advantage 
  of 
  their 
  exorbitant 
  numbers, 
  which 
  sometimes 
  baffles 
  all 
  calcula- 
  

   tions, 
  falling 
  upon 
  a 
  certain 
  country 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  twinkling 
  of 
  an 
  eye 
  devouring 
  all 
  the 
  

   plants 
  in 
  their 
  pathway. 
  Their 
  first 
  fury 
  is 
  discharged 
  upon 
  the 
  delicate 
  plants 
  more 
  

   abounding 
  in 
  juice 
  ; 
  but 
  soon 
  finding 
  these 
  giving 
  out, 
  and 
  lacking 
  their 
  coveted 
  food, 
  

   they 
  attack 
  the 
  leguminous 
  plants, 
  the 
  leaves 
  and 
  the 
  bark 
  of 
  trees, 
  and, 
  generally, 
  

   all 
  classes 
  of 
  vegetables, 
  without 
  sparing 
  those 
  whose 
  odor 
  or 
  sap 
  has 
  something 
  acid, 
  

   sour, 
  astringent, 
  bitter, 
  and 
  even 
  poisonous, 
  and 
  devouring 
  equally 
  coverlets 
  of 
  wool, 
  

   and 
  the 
  clothing 
  of 
  the 
  people 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  worn 
  for 
  protection 
  from 
  the 
  rain 
  or 
  the 
  

   frost, 
  and 
  finishing 
  with 
  stuffs 
  of 
  flax 
  and 
  of 
  silk 
  

  

  Upon 
  the 
  emigration 
  of 
  locusts, 
  certain 
  circumstances, 
  as 
  common 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  un- 
  

   heeded, 
  merit 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  observer. 
  Their 
  flight 
  is 
  more 
  certain 
  and 
  at 
  a 
  

   greater 
  altitude 
  whenever 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  heated 
  temperature 
  and 
  the 
  air 
  clear 
  

   and 
  calm. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  when 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  is 
  charged 
  with 
  mist 
  or 
  with 
  rain, 
  

   or 
  pervaded 
  by 
  a 
  chilly 
  element, 
  or 
  even 
  about 
  the 
  rising 
  or 
  the 
  setting 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  

   they 
  move 
  more 
  slowly, 
  exhibiting 
  a 
  certain 
  rigidity, 
  moving 
  their 
  wings 
  with 
  diffi- 
  

   culty, 
  and 
  not 
  rising 
  to 
  any 
  great 
  height. 
  And 
  when 
  they 
  attempt 
  to 
  continue 
  their 
  

   raids 
  in 
  a 
  rainy 
  season, 
  or 
  one 
  tending 
  to 
  cold, 
  they 
  begin 
  by 
  agitating 
  their 
  wings 
  and 
  

   exciting 
  all 
  their 
  strength 
  to 
  rise 
  ; 
  but, 
  not 
  finding 
  themselves 
  in 
  a 
  condition 
  to 
  sustain 
  

   a 
  long 
  journey, 
  they 
  at 
  first 
  droop, 
  and 
  then 
  fall 
  precipitately 
  to 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  are 
  

   compelled 
  to 
  continue 
  their 
  journey 
  on 
  foot. 
  

  

  The 
  Irish 
  writer 
  William 
  Bowles, 
  in 
  his 
  " 
  Introduction 
  to 
  the 
  Natural 
  History 
  and 
  

   Physical 
  Geography 
  of 
  Spain," 
  published 
  and 
  annotated 
  by 
  d'Azara, 
  speaking 
  of 
  the 
  

   locusts 
  which 
  devastated 
  various 
  provinces 
  of 
  that 
  kingdom 
  from 
  1724 
  to 
  1757, 
  maintains 
  

   the 
  theory 
  that 
  the 
  ardor 
  of 
  perpetuating 
  their 
  species 
  is 
  not 
  equal 
  in 
  the 
  male 
  and 
  

   female 
  locust, 
  observing 
  that 
  the 
  male 
  is 
  restless 
  and 
  solicitous, 
  while 
  the 
  female 
  

   shows 
  herself 
  cold 
  and 
  always 
  intent 
  upon 
  feeding. 
  Whence 
  it 
  comes 
  that 
  the 
  males, 
  

   during 
  the 
  fresh 
  hours 
  of 
  the 
  morning, 
  are 
  for 
  assaulting 
  the 
  females, 
  while 
  the 
  latter 
  

   are 
  fleeing 
  and 
  hiding 
  ; 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  two 
  hours 
  of 
  midday 
  the 
  females 
  begin 
  to 
  free 
  

   themselves 
  from 
  the 
  importunity 
  of 
  the 
  males, 
  who 
  are 
  continually 
  pestering 
  and 
  

   pursuing 
  them, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  exercise 
  mounting 
  into 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  to 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  

   400 
  or 
  500 
  feet, 
  the 
  first 
  legion 
  taking 
  always 
  the 
  route 
  which 
  the 
  wind 
  favors, 
  and 
  

   going 
  perhaps 
  two 
  leagues 
  ; 
  and 
  whenever 
  the 
  sky 
  is 
  serene 
  and 
  the 
  air 
  not 
  agitated 
  

   by 
  winds 
  their 
  flight 
  is 
  very 
  brief. 
  From 
  this 
  cause, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  results 
  the 
  migratioa 
  

   of 
  the 
  locusts. 
  As 
  declared 
  by 
  a 
  Spanish 
  countryman 
  who 
  saw 
  his 
  fields 
  devoured 
  by 
  

   these 
  pests: 
  "If 
  those 
  accursed 
  females 
  would 
  not 
  act 
  so 
  prudishly, 
  and 
  if 
  they 
  would 
  

   suffer 
  the 
  males 
  to 
  enjoy 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  born, 
  I 
  should 
  not 
  have 
  

   to 
  undergo 
  this 
  damage; 
  but 
  the 
  vermin 
  fear 
  extinction, 
  and 
  seek 
  to 
  prolong 
  life 
  like 
  

   ourselves, 
  because 
  they 
  know 
  that 
  conjunction 
  means 
  nothing 
  else 
  than 
  to 
  impregnate 
  

   and 
  die." 
  

  

  One 
  would 
  need 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  easily 
  impressed 
  by 
  the 
  marvelous 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  adopt 
  the 
  

   credulous 
  belief 
  of 
  the 
  Spanish 
  countryman, 
  and 
  to 
  persuade 
  himself 
  that 
  the 
  locusts 
  

   forsee 
  the 
  consequence 
  of 
  copulation 
  as 
  fatal 
  to 
  them, 
  and 
  to 
  attribute 
  to 
  the 
  chastity 
  

   and 
  rigor 
  of 
  the 
  females 
  the 
  migration 
  of 
  those 
  innumerable 
  colonies 
  which 
  come 
  from 
  

   the 
  farthest 
  east 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  Europe. 
  But 
  wherefore 
  should 
  wo 
  not 
  attribute 
  this 
  mi- 
  

   gration 
  rather 
  to 
  a 
  cause 
  both 
  simple 
  and 
  natural, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  founded 
  upon 
  an 
  instinct 
  

   of 
  all 
  organized 
  beings 
  — 
  of 
  gathering 
  their 
  own 
  nourishment? 
  Having 
  consumed 
  in 
  

   one 
  place 
  all 
  nutritious 
  substances, 
  why 
  should 
  they 
  not 
  seek 
  out 
  another 
  where 
  food 
  

   abounds? 
  And 
  this 
  is, 
  without 
  question, 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  principal 
  causes 
  that 
  

   determine 
  the 
  migrations 
  of 
  living 
  species, 
  commencing 
  with 
  man 
  and 
  continuing 
  

   through 
  quadrupeds, 
  birds, 
  some 
  reptiles, 
  zoophytes, 
  gnats, 
  and 
  other 
  insects; 
  and 
  to 
  

   whioh 
  have 
  been 
  due 
  the 
  immonso 
  reflux 
  of 
  barbarian 
  tribes 
  which 
  have 
  abandoned 
  

   their 
  northern 
  boundaries 
  to 
  pour 
  their 
  inundations 
  into 
  the 
  warm 
  and 
  fertile 
  regions 
  

   of 
  the 
  south. 
  In 
  fact, 
  all 
  thoso 
  swarms 
  of 
  Goths, 
  Huns, 
  Vandals, 
  Cimbri, 
  Borgognoni,. 
  

  

  