pieces-a pair of "key-hole saws" with a sharp spear between; with this complicated carpenter apparatus she does all her mischief.

The pupa emerge from the ground during the warm nights about the first of June; they crawl up whatever happens to be near and fasten firmly to it, by means of their hook-like claws, preparatory to their transformation. Directly the skin splits open on the back; through this rent the perfected insect escapes, leaving a complete shell-case, of an amber color, still attached to whatever it was fastened. In a short time the wings dry, and then away they fly, rejoicing in a new medium-a new existence. Impelled by the wonderful instincts of provident nature, they immediately prepare for the continuance of their species, which appears to be their only errand above ground, for they never eat while in the winged state, and only survive four or five weeks; just long enough for the females to deposit their eggs, which they do in the small and tender branches of shrubs and trees. One female furnishes not far from five hundred eggs; these are deposited by means of their piercer, in longitudinal rows deep in the heart of a small twig or branch. The branch generally dies in a few days after the eggs have been deposited, and is broken off by the winds and falls to the ground, into which the young grubs immediately burrow-there to grope in perpetual darkness for fibrous roots, (on which they subsist,) for the long period of seventeen years; at the end of this time they, with an unerring certainty, will come forth fitted to spend on earth, with music and pleasure, a short but joyous season. This well established fact of their appearing at regular intervals of seventeen years, is one of the most remarkable characteristics of this species-the circle of their existence is completed in just this period.

"Locust year" is not the same everywhere, contrary to what we should expect. Last year (1854) they were in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, and this year, (1855) they made their appearance in Southern Illinois and Missouri; these may be regarded as different families or communities of the same species.

To my certain knowledge the locusts were in Northern Illinois in June, 1837, and in Southern Illinois and Missouri in 1838. True to the laws of their development they have returned in those localities in just seventeen years.

Dry oak ridges are the most favorable localities for the seventeen-year cicada;* in such localities they do considerable damage to young fruit and ornamental trees, by killing the tender branches; but for the most part the injury is soon repaired, and as they appear at such distant periods, their coming may not be looked for with much dread.

It is no wonder that the appearance of such vast swarms of large insects at these remote periods should excite the superstition of the ignorant believer in signs and wonders. I remember well when, but a lad, the "locust year"

Although commonly known here as locusts, they differ widely from true locusts, many of which are called grass-hoppers in this country; they have the hinder pair of legs formed for leaping, which is not the case in the cicadaj-in fact they are so unlike that they do not even belong to the same ORDER of insects.

of 1829, (in Richland county, Ohio;) the ominous predictions of some wouldbe knowing ones, founded on the letter W indelibly stamped upon their wings, which was duly interpreted "war;" and many a long story of their appearance just before long and bloody wars, together with fabulous accounts of their appearance with a P for peace, at the close of the revolutionary and other noted sanguinary struggles, were recounted to give due weight to their wisdom. These grave wonders awakened in my young mind fears closely allied to those equally as childish, which are often excited in children during the fall of long continued rains-for fear another "Noah's flood" would drown the earth. Time wore on, war didn't make its appearance, but the locusts did in 1846, with an equally conspicuous W on their wings, to be again interpreted by the ignorant Pennsylvania Dutch, "WAR-without mercy."

I have not attempted to describe in detail the habits of this interesting insect; that would occupy more than our alloted space; my object being principally to record here their present appearance in Illinois.

As I commenced with a text it is fit I should close with an exhortation. Let me urge the young sons and daughters of farmers, especially, to study carefully and minutely the habits of every quadruped, bird, reptile, fish, and insect, that may chance to come within the sphere of your observation; you will be interested and delighted with the useful knowledge you would gain. Perhaps there is nothing which strengthens and invigorates the mind more than a deep earnest inquiry into nature. You who reside in the country, where nature, like a moving panorama, is continually presenting new objects. of interest-You, of all others, should not neglect this study. I would say to the young ladies, make your acquaintance with the thousand lovely and useful flowers and plants, that greet your senses on every side. Don't think it is all of botany to learn how to count and name the several parts of a flower, and by the aid of Mrs. Lincoln to guess and spell out the systematic names. Study the plants aided by books, instead of studying books aided by plants. And there are multitudes of beautiful and exceedingly interesting insects, nature's favorite productions, on which she is prodigal of ornamenting, painting, and gilding, with every hue and shade of metalic lustre and rainbow tint; or as Kerby has beautifully said, "they are nature's valued miniatures, to which she has given the most delicate touches and highest finish of her pencil."

These two branches of natural history, (botany and entomology,) are peculiarly adapted for females to pursue with pleasure and profit. Throw aside then those nerve-exciting, mind-enfeebling, trashy novels. Go study nature, and you will find your nerves strengthened, your minds improved, and the sources of enjoyment multiplied; and then you will learn that young man who would win your smiles to talk sense rather than nonsense.

Young men, if you would check that growing inclination to spend your valuable time and money in the groceries, at the gaming table, or surrounding the decanter, sipping liquid destruction, and telling stories that had better remain untold, waking passions that far better had slept, and uttering words that should not be repeated, go, too, and cultivate an acquaintance with nature

You will there find enjoyments so far above those sensual gratifications as the heavens are above the earth; enjoyments that bring no aching heads, no reddened eyes, and no bloated visages-pleasures that poison not the constitution and obliterate not the God-like characters in man.

Be assured that he who cultivates a taste for, and indulges in low pleasures, based on mere animal gratifications, narrows, contracts, and abridges the circle of his enjoyments, while "he who enlarges his curiosity after the works of nature demonstrably multiplies the inlets to happiness."

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Sir: Your letter is received inviting me to give my views on the coccus, or bark louse. This insect greatly concerns the fruit grower throughout the whole of the north-western section of the Um n. Many farms are lessened in value hundreds of dollars by the ravages of this insect. Young orchards which now promise fair must soon be swept away or rendered nearly worthless unless some remedy is discovered. Unlike the eastern or middle states -here if we transplant a lousy tree we do it with the seal of death upon it.

We must have fruit-and if we cannot raise it we shall order it from other states at a great and constant expense. Con-equently those who can devise a feasible remedy will greatly benefit the present and future generations in this section. I am satisfied that it will require some time, many experiments and much close observation before we shall fully overcome the enemy; but it must be done. We who are interested in fruit growing must tax ourselves with time, and money, and experiments, until a remedy is found. Having had my attention directed to this subject of late, I will give my views and some facts on the subject.

I give it as my opinion that it is an annual insect, reproduced but once during the year. In this I differ from Dr. Harris, who states in his most excellent treatise on insects, that two generations are produced during the season. Our friend and excellent entomologist, Dr. LeBaron, of Geneva, Kane county, Illinois, considers it an annual insect. Constant observation during the last summer leads me to the same conclusion. It is known to many that if the scale covering the female be lifted, a white powder is seen to fall, at certain seasons of the year Let this powder fall on a clean white paper, and you will discover from say twenty to eighty eggs; which can be found from the middle of August until the hatching period during the next May.

The insects hatch between the middle of May and the first of June in this latitude, and when numerous give the trunk and limbs the appearance of having been dusted with flour, it is of a milky whiteness, very minute, and active for a very short period of two or three days. The female soon pre-empts, fixes itself and never moves again. Of the male I cannot speak from observation. The migratory state is very short. My trees were watched closely by my family. The first seen was on the 23d of May; I returned home on the 27th; after which not one was seen to move by myself or family. As it is im

portant to know the time when they hatch, I will mention the time at different points. At Chicago, on the 15th of May last, the eggs were not hatched. At Geneva, Kane county, on the 16th of May, some of the white variety were found. On the 17th the young coccids were very numerous and active at Batavia, Kane county. On the 18th of May they were seen at Oswego, Kendall county. May 26th visited Kenosha and Racine-eggs perfect, none hatched. In this connection I will mention that in no case were the coccidæ found until after the apple blossoms had fallen and the young fruit commenced growingit is vain to look for them before. None were observed on the leaves or new growth, except two or three inches. After txing themselves, they gradually enlarge and change to a light chocolate brown color, and during the month of June a fan shaped shell is commenced which grows to be the future covering of the insect. During July it can be readily eparated from the shell, presenting, except the size, something of the appearance of the common sow bug. About the middle of August they are of full size, and eggs are found. At this time (December) the eggs seem as large and numerous as they were early in May. What is their origin? And how do they get from one tree to another? They have undoubtedly been brought here on nursery trees from the eastern states, and are now disseminated from nurseries. While in their active or migratory condition, they might be carried by the wind or, to the ground or another tree. I have young root grafts growing between my standard trees, and I can explain the appearance of the coccids on them in no other way.

A farmer one mile from this village has an orchard of thirty seedling trees, which were transplanted when one year old, and have now been transplanted thirteen years. He has never bought a nursery tree or had any of his grafted. It is purely a seedling bearing orchard. His trees were all examined attentively and not a single bark louse could be found on his premises. Another farmer, a part of whose farm is included within the bounds of this village, planted apple seed fourteen years ago and set out his orchard. He has sevelyeight seedlings, only two afilicted slightly. He has recently purchased and planted thirty-eight graits, eight of which have coccids. Another farmer, five miles from here, received from the state of New York about ten years since, seventy grafted trees, which were transplanted in a dry prairie soil. They made a fine growth for a few years, and when the lice became numerous he washed the bodies with the various alkaline remedies proposed, very diligently, as he informed me, but the result is his orchard is nearly ruined, and the faria lessened in value hundreds of dollars. Had these seventy trees been entirely clear of the coccide when transplanted, I do not believe there would have been one at this time.

There is another variety occasionally seen called by Dr. Harris the coccus cryptogamus, which I will eal the white variety. It gives the trunk and limbs the appearance of being dotted over with small bits of light brown paper. They are whitish and flat. The young hatch about the same time, and are of an amber color. They are equally destructive to the tree.

How do they affect the tree?