XV. Some particulars concerning the Locust of North'America. Written at Nazareth, in Pennsylvania, August 27th, 1793. Communicated to the EDITOR, by the Reverend Mr. CHARLES REICHEL, of Nazareth.

BY the testimony of Jacob Rubel (of Bethlehem), who is 69 years of age, and has lived in different parts of Pennsylvania, ever since the year 1727, it appears, that the Locusts were, at that time, far more numerous in this country than they are at present. They appeared, in great numbers, every year, though it was observed, that about once in seven, eight, or nine years, they abounded more than usual, doing great damage to the apple and other fruit-trees.

Mr. Rubel has not noticed the exact years when they were most numerous; but he recollects, that some missionaries of the Brethren (Moravians), who resided at Shamokin, on the Susquehanna, between the years 1742 and 1750, informed him, that one of those years (he cannot say precisely which) the locusts covered, as it were, the woods in that district, and large droves of swine were fattened upon them. At the same time, none were seen on the other side of the Susquehanna, which proves that their visits are sometimes local.

By other accounts, it seems, that once between the years 1752 and 1758, and again in 1765, they were very numerous, especially in the woods and orchards,

The old people at Bethlehem and Nazareth say, that such numbers of them have never been seen since.

The year 1775 was another of the years in which the locusts abounded. Some persons, travelling from Bethlehem to Wyoming and Shamokin, found that, in many places, they had entirely destroyed the leaves But such destruction did not take place

of the trees.
in the cultivated parts of the country.

Their years have, since that time, been 1783 and 1792, when they have visibly decreased in the neighbourhood of Bethlehem and Nazareth. In 1792, those near Bethlehem were chiefly confined to their favourite spots, the orchards.

It was observed, that the locusts do great damage to the fruit-trees, especially the apple-trees. This is occasioned by their piercing the tender branches, in order to deposit in them their eggs. All the twigs or branches thus perforated, soon die. The eggs fall to the ground; but what changes they undergo, and how long they remain in the earth, is uncertain. From the above-mentioned circumstances, and the extraordinary increase of the locusts at the end of a certain period of years (varying, perhaps, according to the season), it has been supposed by many, that the eggs require at least seven years to come to perfection. So much is certain, that the locusts are often found in the chrysalis state, at the depth of seven or eight (some say fifteen) feet below the surface of the earth; which has further given rise to the

opinion, that the eggs, for three or more years, successively, sink deeper and deeper into the mould; then turn into a chrysalis, and afterwards, during the same number of years, continue rising.

Be this as it may, it appears, from actual observations, that seven, eight, or nine years, after the eggs of these insects have been deposited in the branches of the trees, an infinite number of aurelias make their way out of the earth, in a direction nearly perpendicular. At first, they are moist, soft, and of a whitish colour: but, by the heat of the sun, they soon become brown, dry, and consistent; and, after a few days, expand and produce the locusts. This commonly takes place at the end of May, or the begining of June, when deep, round holes, about half an inch in diameter, the passages of the locusts out of the earth, may be seen under most apple, cherry, and other trees, whether the ground be a stiff clay, gravelly, hard-beaten, and apparently impenetrable to any creature of so small a size, that is not endued with extraordinary strength, and powers of action.

The preceding facts are curious, and might seem incredible, were we not acquainted with other phenomena of nature equally wonderful and astonishing. The subject, undoubtedly, deserves more attention than seems hitherto to have been paid to it.

There are several properties ascribed to the locust of North-America, which seem perfectly unaccountable; such as its long continuance in the egg and

chrysalis states; the depth of ground at which it is found, where it must be deprived of fresh air; the manner in which it arrives there; its finding its way again to the surface of the earth, in a manner so contrary to the usual course of nature; and its breaking through every barrier, in order to join the other tribes of insects at the proper time. Surely, their whole history is a striking demonstration of the mighty power of GoD, for the preservation and re-animation of the most insignificant of his creatures!

It is still worthy of remark, that, like most destructive insects and reptiles, the locusts seem to decrease in number, in proportion as population and cultivation improve the face of the country. Thus, through divine goodness, our enemies, whom we could not conquer, are bid, as it were, to depart from us, to wilder and more unfrequented regions, where they can do no injury to any one. Were they to come to us in large swarms every year, our young apple and other fruit-trees would all be continually and inevitably ruined.

N. B. No attempt is made to describe the locust itself, or the various species there may be of them.

REMARKS.

The preceding facts and observations respecting the Periodical Locust, though in many respects im

perfect, and in some respects erroneous, were deemed too interesting not to be presented to the public. The Editor has, for several years, devoted a great deal of attention to the natural history of this insect. He designs to publish an extensive memoir on the subject. Meanwhile, it will be sufficient to observe, on the paper communicated by Mr. Reichel, that the locust, to which it principally refers, is the Cicada Septendecim of Linnæus (the Tettigonia Septendecim of Fabricius); that these insects appear to be very numerous every year, in some part or other of the United-States, but that they do not, in general at least, return in the same district of country, in less than sixteen or seventeen years. There is no good foundation for the assertion, that the locust continues for a long time in the egg-state; but it seems certain, that it is often wrapped up in the garments of a pupa, or chrysalis, for the long term of sixteen years! THE EDITOR.

XVI. Additional Observations on the Cicada Septendecim. By the late Mr. JOHN BARTRAM. From a MS. in the possession of the EDITOR.

ON the 10th of May, 1749, in the morning, I observed (in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia) abundance of Locusts, just escaped from their skins. Some had turned of a dark brown; others white, with their wings moist. Some were creeping out; some were on the grass, on the bushes, rails, and bodies of trees.