
ORTHOPTERA. 305 
blew they were driven into the sea, and their carcases occasioned 
a plague which laid Barbary waste. 
India and China often fall victims to these destructive insects. 
| In 1735 clouds of locusts hid from the Chinese both the sun and 
moon. Not only the standing crops, but also the corn in the 
barns and the clothes in the houses being devoured. 
In the south of France locusts multiply sometimes so prodi- 
giously, that in a very short time many barrels may be filled with 
their eggs. They have caused at different periods immense 
damage. It was chiefly in the years 1613, 1805, 1820, 1822, 
1824, 1825, 1832, and 1834, that their visits to the south of France 
were most formidable. 
Mézeray relates that in the month of January, 1613, in the reign 
of Louis XITI., locusts invaded the country around Arles. In seven 
or eight hours the wheat and crops were devoured to the roots 
-over an extent of country of 15,000 acres. They then crossed 
over the Rhine, and visited Tarascon and Beaucaire, where they 
| ate the vegetables and lucerne. They then shifted their quarters 
! to Aramon, to Monfrin, to Valabregues, &c., where they were 
fortunately destroyed in great part by the starlings and other 
insect-eating birds, which flocked in innumerable numbers to this 
game. 
The consuls of Arles and of Marseilles caused the eggs to be 
collected. Arles spent, for this object, 25,000 francs, and Mar- 
seilles 20,000 francs. 3,000 quintals of eggs were interred or 
thrown into the Rhéne. If we count 1,750,000 eggs per quintal, 
that will give us a total of 5,250,000,000 of locusts destroyed in the 
egg, which otherwise would have very soon renewed the ravages of 
which the country had so lately been the victim. In 1822 were 
spent again, in Provence, 2,227 francs for the same object. In 
1825 were spent 6,200 francs. A reward of 50 centimes was given 
for every kilogramme of eggs, and half the sum for every kilo- 
gramme of insects. The eggs collected were burnt, or else crushed. 
under heavy rollers. The gathering was entrusted to women and 
children. The operation consisted in dragging along the ground 
ereat sheets, the corners of which were held up. The locusts came 
and settled on these, and were caught by rolling the sheet up. 
In the territory of Saintes-Maries, situated not far from Aigues- 
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