226 The Rocky Mountain Locust. 



personal experience, that our Rocky Mountain locust is more 

 palatable when cooked than some animals that we already 

 use upon our tables. I mention the species more particu- 

 larly, because the flavor will doubtless differ according to 

 the species or even according to the nature of the vege- 

 tation the insects were nourished on. I have made no 

 chemical analysis of this locust food, but that it is highly 

 nourishing may be gathered from the fact that all animals 

 fed upon the insects thrive when these are abundant ; and 

 the further fact that our locust-eating Indians, and all 

 other locust-eating people, grow fat upon them. 



Locusts will hardly come into general use for food except 

 where they are annually abundant, and our western farmers 

 who occasionally suffer from them will not easily be brought 

 to a due appreciation of them for this purpose. Prejudiced 

 against them, fighting to overcome them, killing them in 

 large quantities, until the stench from their decomposing 

 bodies becomes at times most offensive — they find little 

 that is attractive in the pests. For these reasons, as long^ 

 as other food is attainable, the locust will be apt to be 

 rejected by most persons. Yet the fact remains that they 

 do make very good food. When freshly caught in large 

 quantities, the mangled mass presents a not very appetiz- 

 ing appearance, and emits a rather strong and not over 

 pleasant odor; but rinsed and scalded, they turn a brownish 

 red, look much more inviting, and give no disagreeable 

 smell. 



The experiments here recorded have given rise to many- 

 sensational newspaper paragraphs, and I consider the mat- 

 ter of sufficient importance to place the actual facts on 

 permanent record. 



Like or dislike of many kinds of food is, let me repeat, 

 very much a matter of individual taste or national custom. 

 Every nation has some special and favorite dish which the 



