48 NATURAL HISTORY. 
and Lithuania, in fuch aftonithing multitudes, that the air was darken 
ed, and the earth covered with their numbers. In fome places they 
were feen lying dead, heaped upon each other four feet deep ; in others, 
they covered the furface like a black cloth: ‘the trees bent beneath 
their weight; and the damage which the country fuftained exceeded 
éomputation. In Barbary their numbers are formidable; and their vi- 
fits are frequent. In the year 1724, Dr Shaw was a witnefs in that 
country of their devaflation.. Their fir appearance was about the lat- 
ter end of March, when the wind had been foutherly for fome time. 
‘In the beginning of April, their numbers were fo vaftly increafed, that 
in the heat of the day they formed themfelves into latge fwarms, which 
appeared like clouds, and darkened the fun. In the middle of May they 
began to difappear, retizing into the plains to depofit their eggs. In 
the next month, being June, the young brood began to make their ap- 
pearance, forming many compat bodies of feveral hundred yards 
fquare; and afterwards marching forward, climbed the trees; walls; 
and houtes, eating every thing that was green in their way. The 
inhabitants, to ftop their progrefs, laid trenches all over their fields 
and gardens, filling them with water. Some placed large quantities 
of heath, ftubble, and fuch like combuftible matter, in rows, and fet 
them on fire on the approach of the locufts. But all this was to no 
purpofe ; for the trenches were quickly filled up, and the fires put out 
by the vaft number of {warms that fucceeded each other. A day or 
two after one of thefe was in motion, others that were juft hatched — 
came to glean after them, gnawing off the young branches and the very 
bark of the trees. Having lived near a month in this manner, they 
arrived at (their full growth, and threw off their worm-like fate, by 
eafting their fkins. ‘To prepare themfelves for this change, they fixed 
their hinder feet to fome buth or twig, or corner of a ttone, when im- 
mediately, by an undulating motion ufed on this occafion, their heads 
‘would firft appear, and foon after the reft of their bodies. The whole 
transformation was performed in feven or eight minutes time; after 
which, they were a little while in a languifhing condition ; but as foor 
as the fun and air had hardened their wings, and dried up the moifture 
that remained after cafting off their floughs, they returned again to 
their former greedinefs; with am addition both of ftrength and agility. 
But they did not continue long in this ftate before they were entirely 
difperfed ; after laying their eggs, directing their courfe northward,’ 
and probably perifhing in the fea. It is faid that the holes thefe ani- 
mals make, to depofit their eggs in, are four feet deep in the ground ¥ 
the eggs are about fourfcore in number, of the fize of carraway comfits 
and bundled up together in clufters. i 
It would be endlefs to recount all the mifchiefs which thefe famifhed 
infe@s have at different times occafioned ; but what can have induced 
them: to take fuch diltant fights, when they come into Europe, is not’ 
fo eafy to be accounted for. It feems moft probable, that by means 
of a very dry feafon in the heart of Africa, they are propagated in fuck 
numbers, that the vegetables of the fpot where they are produced aré — 
not fuflicient to futain them. Thus being obliged to find otit other 
countries, they traverfe the fandy deferts, where they can find no ful- 
tenance; ftill meeting with nothing to allure them from theit height, 
they 
~--iminaitemnaiinttte RCC tC TCT 
