188 ORTHOPTERA. 



The habits of the grouse-locusts are said to be absolutely 

 the same as those of other locusts. They seem, however, to 

 be more fond of heat, being generally found in grassy places, 

 on banks, by the sides of the road, and even on the naked 

 sands, exposed to the full influence of the sun throughout the 

 day. Tliey are extremely agile, and consequently very diffi- 

 cult to capture, for they leap to an astonishing distance, con- 

 sidering their small size, being moreover aided in this motion 

 by their ample wings. The young, which are deprived of 

 wings, are generally found about midsummer, and are readily 

 distinguished by the thorax, which is somewhat like a re- 

 versed boat, being furnished with a longitudinal ridge or keel 

 from one end to the other. These little locusts are analogous 

 to the insects belonging to the genus Membracis in the order 

 Hemiptera, which also are distinguished by a very large 

 thorax covering the whole of the upper side of the body, 

 small wing-covers, and have the faculty of making great leaps. 

 Indeed, these two kinds of insects very naturally connect the 

 orders Orthoptera and Hemiptera together. 



After so much space has been devoted to an account of the 

 ravages of grasshoppers and locusts, and to the descriptions 

 of the insects themselves, perhaps it may be expected that the 

 means of checking and destroying them should be fiiUy ex- 

 plained. The naturalist, however, seldom has it in his power 

 to put in practice the various remedies which his knowledge 

 or experience may suggest. His proper province consists in 

 examining the living objects about him with regard to their 

 structure, their scientific arrangement, and their economy or 

 liistory. In doing tliis, he opens to others the way to a suc- 

 cessful course of experiments, the trial of which he is gener- 

 ally obliged to leave to those who are more favorably situated 

 for their performance. 



In the South of France the people make a business, at 

 certain seasons of the year, of collecting locusts and their 

 eggs, the latter being turned out of the ground in little masses 

 cemented and covered with a sort of gum in which they are 



