teen or fifteen years) the numbers are so immense, that it has obtained the general appellation of Locust.

Towards the end of April these insects emerge from the ground, and their appearance is always to be predicted by the swine searching for them. The swarms are sometimes so great, that in the places from which they have arisen, the earth appears nearly as full of holes as a honey-comb. They always leave the ground during the night. On their first coming out they are in the chrysalid state: but soon afterwards, the back bursts, and the flying insects disengage themselves from their case. For a little while they are entirely white, with red eyes, and seem very weak and tender; but, by the next day, they attain their full strength and perfection, being of a dark brown colour, with four finely variegated transparent wings.

They are very active, flying about from tree to tree with great agility. The female is directed to the male by the loud chirping noise which he makes. She lays her eggs about the end of May, piercing for this purpose the tender twigs of trees, with the dart from her tail. With this she is able to penetrate the wood in a surprisingly expeditious manner, crowding it, for the length of two or three inches, full of eggs, ranged in close lines, containing from twelve to eighteen in each. She always darts to the pith of the branch, in order that the larvæ, when they proceed from the eggs, may find food proper for their tender state. When these are full grown they drop off, and make their way into the ground, in order to prepare for a change. Here they are sometimes found at the depth of two feet or upwards.

For the sake of experiment, some of the eggs of the American Locust, about the usual time of hatching, were taken out and spread upon a table. In about an hour they cracked; and it was very entertaining to observe, how the little insects contrived to disengage themselves from the shell. When they had got clear

from all incumbrances, they ran about very briskly, evidently searching for a repository in the earth.

Shortly after they have attained their perfect state, these insects always spread theniselves over the country for many miles round. They are excessively voracious, and do infinite damage, in their periodical swarmings, to both orchard and forest trees; and were it not for the number and variety of their enemies, and the naturally short duration of their lives, the inhabitants would often suffer from them all the horrors of famine. It seems to have been of these insects that Mr. Hughes says, such vast swarms were bred, or came into the island of Barbadoes, in the year 1734-5, that they destroyed almost every green and tender plant. So great was the destruction they caused, and such the scarcity of food occasioned by them, particularly in the parish of St. Philip, that a collection was made for the sufferers through the rest of the island.

Domestic fowls are fond of these insects, and even some of the American squirrels become fat with them, at the times when they are very abundant. The Indians also pluck off their wings, and boil the bodies for food.

THE BLACK-HEADED FROGHOPPER*.

The larvæ or grubs of this insect are well known as discharging from their bodies, upon the branches and leaves of plants, a kind of frothy matter, called by the country-people, in many parts of England, Cuckoo-spit. In the midst of this they constantly reside, probably for shelter against the rapacity of such stronger insects, as would otherwise prey upon them. Nature seems to have afforded this kind of defence to the insects, as

* DESCRIPTION. This insect is of a brownish colour, and has on the upper wings two lateral whitish spots.

SYNONYMS. Cicada spumaria. Linn.-Ċereropis spumaria. Fabricius.-Cuckoo-spit or Froth-worm.

their naked and soft bodies might otherwise be easily injured; perhaps, also, the moisture of this foam may serve to screen them from the sultry beams of the sun. On removing the foam, the grub is discovered underneath; but it will not remain long uncovered. It soon emits fresh foam, that again hides it from observation.

In the midst of this foam it is, that the larva goes through its metamorphoses to a chrysalis and a winged insect. This may be observed by any person, who is careful enough to watch when the froth begins a little to subside. At this period he must put the insect with its leaf under a glass. The froth, degenerating to a white film, fixes the creature to the leaf: soon afterwards the fly may be seen first putting out its head, and then by degrees its body. As soon as the forepart is out, a small protuberance will be perceived on each side, which, every moment growing larger, will soon appear to be the wings of the fly unfolding by degrees. In about a quarter of an hour, the whole change is completed, the fly is liberated, its wings are extended over its body, and the fine silver-like case of the larva, with all its legs, and other apparatus, will be seen left behind.

This insect is very common in meadows and pastures; and is so agile, that, when attempted to be caught, it will sometimes spring to the distance of twelve or eighteen inches.

OF THE CIMECES OR BUGS IN GENERAL.

The rostrum or beak of the Cimeces or Bugs is inflected; and the antennæ are longer than the thorax. These insects have four wings, folded cross-wise, the upper ones coriaceous on the upper part. The back is flat, and the legs are formed for running.

The larvæ differ from the perfect insects in little else than the want of wings. Many of them infest plants, on which they live, and on which they lay their eggs..

Several of the species are voracious, and spare scarcely any other insects that they can conquer. They glut themselves with the blood of animals; destroy caterpillars, flies, and even beetles, the hardness of whose elytra would seem to be proof against all their attacks; the incautious naturalist may also himself sometimes experience the severity of their nature.

THE BED-BUG*.

The Bed Bug, which is a nauseous and troublesome inhabitant of most of the houses in large towns, is singular in having neither wings nor wing-cases. It runs about with considerable activity in the night, to suck the blood of persons that are asleep, hiding itself by day in crevices and other retired places.

It is supposed to have been first introduced to this country, in the fir timber that was brought over for the purpose of rebuilding London, after it had suffered by the great fire; for it is generally said that Bugs were not known in England before that time; and many of these insects were found almost immediately afterwards in the newly-built houses.

Their most favourite food is blood, dried paste, size, deal, beech, osier, and some other kinds of timber, the sap of which they suck; and on any of these they are able to exist. They will not feed on oak, walnut, cedar, or mahogany; for several pairs, which, for the sake of experiment, were confined with these kinds of wood, soon died, whilst those kept with the others continued to live through the whole year.

The female generally lays about fifty eggs at a time. These are white, and, when protruded, are covered with a viscous matter, which, afterwards hardening, sticks them firmly to the place where they are deposited.

* SYNONYMS. Cimex lectularius. Linn.-Acanthia lectularia. Fabricius.

These eggs are usually hatched in about three weeks. The general times of laying are March, May, July, and September: so that from every female Bug that outlives the season, as many as two hundred young-ones may be produced. Thus is the excessive increase of these nauseous animals to be accounted for, where proper care is not taken to destroy them.

The young-ones, for some time after they first escape from the egg, are perfectly white, but they generally become brown in the course of about three weeks. In eleven weeks they are at full growth. They are then very watchful and cunning creatures; and so fierce, among their own species, that they will sometimes contend with the utmost fury; and in their combats they seldom leave off till either one or both of the animals are killed. Spiders are very fond of them, and often seize them for food.

In order to clear a house of Bugs, the leading point is cleanliness in every respect; for this is their greatest annoyance, and by this alone their increase is to be checked. The first young-ones begin to burst from the eggs early in spring, frequently even in February. At this season it is, that the greatest attention is required. The bed infested by them, ought to be stripped of all its furniture, which should be washed: if linen, it should be boiled; and if stuff, it should be hotpressed. The bedstead should be taken in pieces, dusted, and washed with spirit of wine in all the joints and crevices; for it is in these parts, principally, that the females deposit their eggs. This done, all the cavities should be well filled with the best soft soap, mixed up with verdigrease and Scotch snuff. On this composition the young will immediately feed after leaving the egg, (if any escape the cleansing,) and will be destroyed, as will also such of the old ones as happen to be left.

Bugs abound in the countries of nearly all hot climates, whence most of our merchant-vessels are overrun with them. This accounts for their extreme num