150 INDIEECT mJUEIES CAUSED BY INSECTS. 



plants that they become unhealthy and unproductive. These 

 insects about seventy years ago appeared in such infinite 

 hosts in the island of Granada, as to put a stop to the culti- 

 vation of this plant ; and a reward of 20,000/. was offered to 

 any one who should discover an effectual mode of destroying 

 them. Their numbers were incredible. They descended 

 from the hills like torrents, and the plantations, as well as 

 every path and road for miles, were filled with them. Many 

 domestic quadrupeds perished in consequence of this plague. 

 E-ats, mice, and reptiles of every kind became an easy prey 

 to them : and even the birds, which they attacked whenever 

 they alighted on the ground in search of food, were so 

 harassed as to be at length unable to resist them. Streams 

 of water opposed only a temporary obstacle to their progress, 

 the foremost rushing blindly on to certain death, and fresh 

 armies instantly following, till a bank was formed of the 

 carcases of those that were drowned sufficient to dam up the 

 waters, and allow the main body to pass over in safety below. 

 Even the all-devouring element of fire was tried in vain. 

 When lighted to arrest their route, they rushed into the 

 blaze in such myriads of millions as to extinguish it. Those 

 that thus patriotically devoted themselves to certain death 

 for the common good, were but as the pioneers or advanced 

 guard of a countless army, which by their self-sacrifice was 

 enabled to pass unimpeded and unhurt. The entire crops of 

 standing canes were burnt down, and the earth dug up in 

 every part of the plantations. But vain was every attempt 

 of man to effect their destruction, till in 1780 it pleased 

 Providence at length to annihilate them by the torrents of 

 rain which accompanied a hurricane most fatal to the other 

 West India Islands. This dreadful pest was thought to 

 have been imported.^ More recently great mischief has 

 been done to the sugar plantations in the island of St. Yin- 

 cent, by a species of mole-cricket {Gryllotalpa didactyla 

 Latr.), which destroys the young shoots and bores into the 

 plant ^ ; and to those of the island of Granada by the 

 Delphax saccharivora, an homopterous insect, allied to that 



1 Castle in Philos. Trans, xxx. 346. 



^ Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. ii. proc. x. xxiv. xxxi. 



