
We learn,by tradition,as well as fromhiftory, that thefe
locuds have been a plague to the meridional provinces of
Spain time immemorial. I remember to have read in an
old Spanifh novel, the following quedion, “ which was
“ the animal that refembled moft all other animals?”
the anfwer was, “ the locuft; becaufe he has the horns
of a dag, the eyes of a cow, the forehead of a horfe,the
“ legs of a crane, the neck of a fnake, and the wings of
“ a dove.”
However puerile this may appear, it proves the great
length of time they have been known as well as dreaded.
Many old people affured me, when fo much mifchief was
done in 1754, it was the third time in their remembrance,
and that they always are found in the pafture grounds of
Eftremadura, from whence they fpread into the other provinces
of Spain. They are certainly indigenous, being
of a different fhape from thofe of the north or the Levant,
as is evident in comparing them with fuch, in the
cabinets of natural hidory. The locuft of Spain is the
only one that has rofe-coloured wings ; beftdes, it is im-
poffible they can come from any other p ar t; from the
north it is clear they do not, by the obfervation of fo
many ages ; from the fouth they cannot, without eroding
the fea, which is hardly poffible, by the fhortnefs of
their dight, and, like birds of paffage, they would be
known. I once faw a cloud of them pafs over Malaga,
and
and move towards the fea, and go over it, for about a
quarter of a league, to the great joy of the inhabitants,
who concluded they foon-would be drowned ; but to their
difappointment, they fuddenly veered about towards the
coad, and pitched upon an uncultivated fpace furround-
ed with vineyards, which they foon after quitted. When
once they appear, let the number demolifhed be ever
fo great, the proportion remaining is dill too conddera-
ble ; therefore, the only way to put an end to fuch a calamity,
is to attack them beforehand, and deftroy their
eggs, by which means they might be totally extirpated
[a).
’{a) In the life o f Dr. Thomas MofFet, prefixed to a work of his, intitled, “ Health’s-improvement,
London, printed for T. Ofboine, 1746 ;” me-ndon is madfe of his.Theatre o£infeibst
publiihed abroad in- *598*. where, fpeaking of locufts, he particularly, relates, hpw mu.ch the
Spaniards were then affli&ed with fwarms of them, that flew over from Africa, the news of
which, was received;when he was writing that account. If--to this ocea-ftoaal calamity-, we
add the frequent, droughts to which, their meridional provinces are- fo fuhjfft, and which,
caule fuch diftreis amongft the poor,.it will be a great drawback from their boafted fertility.
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