Bee NATURAL HISTORY. 
‘tts long feelers, legs and all, works its way from the old fkin, that re- 
gmains fixed to the thiftle or the thorn. It is, indeed, inconceivable how 
ghe infe@ can thus extricate itfelf from fo exaét a fheath as that which 
govered every part of its body. : 
The grafshopper, thus difengaged from its outer fkin, appears in 
its perfect form ; but then fo feeble, and its body fo foft and tender, that 
it may be moulded like wax. It is no longer of that obfeure colour 
which it exhibited before, but a greenith white, which becomes more vivid 
as the moifture on the furface is dried away. Still, however, the ani- 
. gnal continues to fhew no figns of life, but appears quite {pent and fa- 
tigued with its labour for more than an hour together. During this 
time, the body is drying, and the wings unfolding to their greateft 
expanfion, and the curious obferver will perceive them, fold after fold, 
opening to the fun, till at laft they become longer than the two hin- 
der legs. The infea’s body alfo is lengthened during this operation, 
and it becomes much more beautiful than before. 
Thefe infe&ts are generally vocal in the midft of fummer, and they 
are heard at funfetting much louder than during the heats of the 
day. They are fed upon grafs; and, if their belly be preffed, they 
will be feen to return the juices of the plants they have laft fed upon. 
Though unwilling to fy, and flow in flight, particularly when the 
sveather is moift or cool, they are fometimes {een to fly to confiderable 
diftances. If they are caught by one of the hinder legs, they quickly 
difengage themfelves from it, and leave the leg behind them. This, 
however, does not grow again, as with crabs or fpiders; for as they 
are animals but of a dingle year’s continuance, they have not fufficient 
time for repairing thofe accidental misfortunes. The lofs of their leg 
alfo prevents them from flying ; for being unable to lift themfelves in 
the air, they have not room upon the ground for the proper expanfion 
of their wings. If they be handled roughly, they will bite very fiercely; 
and when they fy, they make a noife with their wings. They general- 
iy keep in the plain, where the grafs is luxuriant, and the ground 
ich and fertile: there they depofit there eggs, particularly in thofe 
cracks which are formed by the heat of the fun. 
Such are the habits and nature of thofe little vocal infeats, that fwarm 
jn eur meadows, and enliven the landfcape. The larger kinds only 
differ from them in fize, in rapidity of flight, and the powers of in- 
juring mankind, by fwarming upon the produdtiion of the earth. The 
‘quantity of grafs which a few grafshoppers that {port in the fields can 
. deftroy is trifling ; but when a fwarm of locufts, two or three miles 
jong, and feveral yards deep, fettle upon a field, the confequences are 
frightful. The annals of every country are marked with the devafta- 
tion which fuch a multitude of infeéts produces; and though they fel- 
dom vifit Europe in fuch dangerous {warms as formerly, yet, in fome 
of the fouthern kingdoms, they are Rill formidable, Thofe which have 
at uncertain intervals vifited Europe, in our memory, are fuppofed to 
have come from Africa, and the animal is caljed the great Brown Lo- 
gaft. It was feen in feyeral parts of England in the year 1748, and 
many dreadful confequences were apprehended from its appearance. 
This infeét is about. three inches long; and has two horns or feelersy 
an inch in length. The head and horns are of a brownifh colour ; it 
is blue about the mouth, as alfo on the infide of the larger legs. aicld 
