THE KANGAROO AND HER YOUNG, ETC. 
369 
legs ; and twisting itself rapidly within the pouch, it would protrude its head 
with an irresistibly comic expression, indicative of a sense of security. To- 
wards the end of September this young one, which was also a female, was 
seen in the pouch for the last time ; but although it relinquished the shelter 
afforded by its parent, yet it continued to seek its nourishment from this 
source. 
“ On the 22nd of October the parent was still suckling her offspring, when 
to the utter astonishment of the observers, that peculiar tremulous movement 
was perceptible in the pouch of the young one, which left no doubt as to its 
condition.* Herself a mother ; ay, even suckling her own offspring in her 
pouch, this creature still drew its nourishment from its parent.” 
War against the Locusts . — During the last two or three years Turkey, the 
Principalities, Bessarabia, and part of Russia have been visited by a plague of 
locusts ; and we extract the following account of the means employed by the 
inhabitants of certain districts to stop the progress of these insects, from the 
same interesting journal which has afforded us the preceding anecdote : — 
“ It was supposed that the danger had passed away (June, 1859), when 
suddenly the news spread that incalculable swarms of locusts were on their 
way from Khersonese. A few days previously, indeed, these pests had crossed 
the Dniester at Bender. Forming a mass one and a quarter German miles 
S (about four English miles), in breadth, and seven to eight inches thick, they 
occupied the whole of two days in swimming across the stream, and then 
spread themselves in all directions over the marshy lowlands lying on the 
left bank of the river. Here it was absolutely necessary to arrest their 
further progress, and a crusade arose, which, for violence and murderous 
results, is quite unprecedented in the annals of natural history. 
“Germans, Bulgarians, Moldavians, Jews, and Russians, all hurried to the 
rescue, for each nation had its flocks and herds to defend from the terrible 
invaders, and in a brief space of time 14,000 well-armed men stood arrayed 
for the conflict. 
“Meanwhile the locusts had occupied all the level country covering a 
superficial area of four square miles, t In order to prevent their inroads 
upon the surrounding fields, it was found necessary to excavate deep ditches 
in different parts along the boundary. These were guarded by persons whose 
business it was to kill the locusts as they fell into the ditches. The remaining 
people divided themselves into bands, or companies of hundreds and thou- 
sands, and with the aid of brooms and drags, constructed of dry branches, 
they commenced a vigorous onslaught upon the enemy as he advanced over 
the hedges and underwood, in ever increasing swarms. Wherever the ground 
was perfectly level, horses and oxen were employed in great numbers to 
trample the enemy under foot, and watchmen were appointed, who passed 
rapidly from post to post, and ordered bands of men to those portions of the 
boundary line which were in the greatest danger of being broken through by 
the advancing hordes of the enemy. 
“ The battle raged a whole week, during which three-fourths of the entire 
mass of locusts perished, and by this time the remaining insects had com- 
pleted their metamorphosis, and were in full possession of their wings. On 
the 9th of July, the first swarms rose into the air, and flew off in various 
directions. Any further effort to destroy them was now deemed unnecessary, 
and the men were dismissed to their respective homes. But the slaughter 
had not been perpetrated in vain, for whilst in Khersonese the entire harvest 
had been destroyed by this insect, Bessarabia suffered but little.” 
* The tremulous movement referred to, indicates the birth and descent 
into the pouch of the partially-developed young of these animals. 
t Four square German miles = about thirty-six square English miles. 
