FLIGHT AT NIGHT. 
97 
but little attention from European naturalists, although so important in 
explaining some facts in reference to locust movements. 
Kohl 195 says that they fly in the night on their native southern steppes 
in July and August, but not later than 12 o'clock, and in warm, clear 
pights when it is light. Demole denies this, and asserts that they fly 
only (lining the day, remaining at rest at night. But the facts given 
in our former report, and the statement made by Mr. Child, quoted 
above, are corroborated by the following direct testimony of Captain 
Frankland : 19G 
The passage of these animals lasted during many days, and at night as they crossed 
over the disk of the moon, by reflecting the light as they shot across the face of the 
planet, they resembled so many flakes of snow or almost as many shooting stars. The 
heat of the weather at this period, 87°, was so intense that during the night I was 
obliged to sleep with my "window open, the consequence of which was that the lo- 
custs used to tumble into my room and upon my musquito-curtains, and by hopping 
about the floor and creeping into my bed generally annoyed me extremely. 
The fact that it is the general habit of locusts to alight in the even- 
ing and resume their journey next day after sunrise, if the wind is fa- 
vorable, together with the difficulty of observing them at night, even 
when the moon is shining, have led to the general impression that there 
are no exceptions to this rule. 
In the data obtained by us in 1877 we found repeated statements by 
our correspondents of the sudden appearance of locusts in the morning 
in localities where none had been seen the day before. 
There were also several accounts of swarms seen flying over localities in 
continuous streams for several days during the entire day, but none alight- 
ing. It was impossible to account for these and some other facts, too well 
attested to be doubted, without supposing the swarms continued their 
flights during the night. Starting with this clue, we sought for all the 
information we could obtain bearing on this subject. This, so far as re- 
ceived at the time our first report was published, was then given. Since 
then a somewhat thorough examination of the locust literature of Eu- 
rope and the statements of travelers in other countries who note 
their observations of the locusts, although bringing to light but few pos- 
itive statements, such as that given above by Captain Frankland, has 
convinced us, as the facts in reference to the flights of C. spretus did, 
that it is no uncommon thing for locusts to fly at night when the weather 
is quite warm and the wind favorable. It is possible they prefer nights 
when the moon shines, but we do not think they are confined to these ; 
the warmth and wind being the influencing conditions. Certainly 
this point, as Pliny seems to have been aware, is an important item in 
determining the possible distance to which single flights may extend. 
Flying two days and one night, say thirty hours, with a moderate wind, 
moving 15 miles an hour, will carry them 450 miles. 
195 Keisen in Siitlrusaland, iii, 163. 
7l 
196 Loc. tit. 
