The baaken of the governor was Iefs a fubjedt of curiofity
than one that appeared on the oppofite bank of the river. This
was a clump of about half a dozen large buihes, the firft that
had occurred for as many days; yet the rarity o f fruitefcent
plants would not have attracted fo much notice, had it not been
for the vaft number and fize o f nefts with which they appeared
to be loaded. Thefe were judged to be at leaft fufficiently
large for the vultures that were hovering in the air, or for the
large blue cranes that fat by the river’s fide near them; On approaching
the buihes, a numerous, flock of birds, about the fize
o f the common iky-lark, ifiued from them. The farmers,
though unacquainted with the nefts, immediately recognifed
the bird to be the locuft-eater, and rejoiced not a little at its
appearance fo near the colony. This fpecies of thrulh is a
migrating bird, and is only met with in places where the migrating
locuft frequents. It had not been feen in the colony
for the fpace of thirteen years ; that is to fay, fince the laft
time that the locufts infefted the Sneuwberg. The head
breaft, and back, are of a pale cinereous color; the abdomen
and rump white ; wings and tail black, the latter ihort and a
little forked; from the angle of the mouth a naked area o f ful-
phureous yellow extends under the eye and a little beyond i t ;
and two naked black ftrise under the throat. The fpecific
name of gryllivorus may with propriety be given to it, as its
whole food feems to confift of the larvae o f this infe£t, at leaft
when they are to be obtained. Nature has feldom given a
bane but fhe has accompanied it with an antidote; or, in other
words, fhe has ordained that one half of the creation ihould
deftroy and devour the other, that the conftant operations of
reproreproduction
might be going on. The numbers of the grille—
vori are not lefs aftoniihing than thofe of the locufts. Their
nefts, that at a diftance appeared to be of fuch great magnitude,
were found on examination to confift of a number of cells,
each of which was a feparate neft with a tube that led into it
through the fide. Of fuch cells each clump contained from fix
to twenty ; and one roof of interwoven twigs covered the
whole like that made by the magpie. Moft of them had young
birds, generally five; the eg'gs were of a blueiih white with
fmall, faint, reddiih fpecks. Thefe birds had here taken up a
temporary abode in a place where they were not likely, in a
ihort fpace of time, to be under the neceflity of quitting for
want of food. Of the innumerable multitudes o f the incomplete
in fed, or larva, of the locufts, that at this time infefted
this part of Africa, no adequate idea could poffibly be conceived
without having witneffed them. For the fpace of ten
miles on each fide of the Sea-Cow river, and eighty or ninety
miles in length, an area of fixteen or eighteen hundred fquare
miles, the whole furface might literally be faid to be covered
with them. The water of the river was fcarcely vifible on
account of the dead carcafes that floated on the furface,
drowned in the attempt to come at the reeds which grew in
the water. They had devoured every green herb and every
blade of grafs ; and had it not been for the reeds, on which
our cattle entirely fubfifted while we ikirted the banks of the
river, the journey muft have been difeontinued, at leaft in the
line that had been propofed. The larva:, as generally is the
cafe in this clafs of nature, are much more voracious than the
perfeft infeft; nothing that is green feems to come amifs to
l l them.