694 



The Living Animals of the World 



grass and low bushes, especially in the south of England. It is about 2 inches in length. 

 Among the foreign species of this rather extensive family, we may mention some green or 

 reddish South American species, with a large round spot on the hind wings, not unlike those 

 seen in the peacock-butterfly. 



The last family includes the Short-horned GRASSHorrEES, or True Locusts, so very 



destructive in many countries, 

 '. .1 though the real ■Migratory Locusts 



are only casual visitors to England, 

 the native British sp)ecies being all 

 small insects, found among grass, 

 and doing but little damage. The 

 commonest of the Migratory Locusts 

 visiting Britain is the Eed-legged 

 Locust, which expands from 2 to 4 

 inches, and has grey wing-cases varied 

 with brown, pale green hind wings, 

 and red hind shanks, with white 

 black-tipped spines. Another species, 

 the Egyptian Locust, more rarely 

 met with, has brown fore w-ings, and 

 grey hind wings, crossed by a broad 

 blackish band. Two photograjjhs are 

 given on page G93 of a specimen 

 brought to England among vegetables 

 in the S]>ring of 190L Many foreign 

 locusts, large and small, have beauti- 

 ful red or blue hind wings, and some 

 of these are common on the Continent, 

 though not in England ; those found 

 in Europe are comparatively small, 

 measuring only 1 or 2 inches across 

 the wing-cases ; but some of the gi-eat 

 South American locusts measure as 

 much as 7 or 8 inches in expanse. 

 However, some of the smaller species, 

 such as the Cyprian Locust and 

 the Eocky Mountain Locust, which 

 measure less than 2 inches across 

 the wing-cases, are much more de- 

 structive than the large species. 



A real invasion of locusts is a 

 terrible calamity, for the insects fly 

 lil<e birds, but in vast flocks, and 

 devour every scrap of vegetation where 

 they settle. Sometimes a flight, two 

 or three miles broad, continues to fly 

 steadily over the Fame spot for hours together. Sometimes flocks perish at sea, and are cast 

 up on the beach m heaps like sand-hills, extending for a distance of forty or fifty miles. Nor are 

 the yoimg locusts less destructive before they acquire wings ; for they march across a district in 

 such numbers as to extinguish iires, iiU up trenches, and overcome all similar obstacles placed in 

 their way by sheer force of numbers; and it is well said of a visitation of locusts, "The land 

 is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind is a desolate wilderness " 



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WAKT-EATlxa OKASSHOPPEU (TWO VIEWS). 

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