ZOOLOGY. 



207 



rmed with a single daw^ and lateral jointed/oo^; hind' 

 legs stnoothj formed for walking. 



The insects of this genus are of the most curious forms, 

 some resembling leaves of plants, and others, of shapes so 

 strange, as to appear to be composed of parts of various 

 insects. 



3. Phasma. Head large ; antennae filiform ; ei/es small 

 rounded ; stemmata between the eyes ; wings four, 

 membranaceous ; the upper pair short ; the lower, 

 plaited ; feet formed for walking. 



.4. Gryllus, Locust, i/eat? inflected ; furnished viMh jaws 

 di^A palpi; antennce filiform, or setaceous ; wings four 

 deflected, convoluted ; the lower pair plaited ; hind- 

 Itgs formed for leaping; claras double on all the feet. 



In some of the warmer countries, this genera of insectt 

 are, of all the pests that mankind are subject to, the most 

 injiirious, destroying vegetables of every kind, and even 

 from their numbers alone, constituting one of the heaviest 

 afflictions that can happen to a country. The mischiefs done 

 by the Blattae or Cockroaches, is trifling, compared with 

 those of this destroying tribe, as the dreadful ravages com- 

 mitted by the Locusts, are such, as to reduce the most fer- 

 tile fields, to the appearance of barren deserts ; they devour 

 the fruits, leaves, and even the buds and bark of trees; and 

 have even been known to devour the reeds used in thatching 

 the habitations of the natives, so unfortunate as to be visited 

 by these devouring hordes. Most of tha species possess 



