The American locust is, however, a very different insect from the locust of the Eastern hemisphere. They might be equally delicious for those who are fond of such things, but as they appear here at such long intervals, they could not be much depended on. The locust of the East is of the grasshopper family, and is met with every year. Captain Riley, in his travels in Morocco, after his liberation from the Arabs of the African desert, describes them, and gives their likeness. It strongly resembles the large grasshopper we see in roads and paths, flying along before us in summer. He says they fly in immense numbers, fairly darkening the air, appearing like a cloud at a distance, and striking terror to the minds of all where they alight. They are exceedingly voracious, and consume all kinds of vegetation, and leave a desert in their train, frequently producing famine. They have sometimes been seen in Southern Europe.

The American locust is, however, a comparatively innocent insect, at least while in a winged state. Their scientific name is "Cicadia Septendecim," or seventeen-year locusts, as that is the duration of their life; and they appear once in that length of time. We have here in this country two sets of them, and they appear every eight and nine years alternately. The districts in which they appear are not the same size, however. When here last, in 1651, they extended from the eastern base of the Alleghany mountains to within a few miles of Alexandria in Virginia; how far north or south I am not advised. This year they will not extend into the Valley of Virginia beyond the Blue Ridge, but will extend as far north at least as Staten Island, N. Y.; how much farther I do not know. They are singular insects. They may be found approaching the surface of the ground in early spring, making holes of about half an inch in diameter. Those that reach the surface first will wait till about the 20th to the 25th of the fifth month, (May,) when they all appear about one time, seldom earlier than the first, or later than the latter date. At their first appearance they are about three-fourths of an inch long,' of a yellow clay color, with six legs, the two hinder ones largest.

They generally come up in the early part of the night, and soon begin to climb a tree, a shrub, or some vegetable; and sometimes climb several feet high before their outer skin begins to dry. As Boon as this is perceived, they fix themselves firmly by their claws, when their skin begins to open along the back, and the insect forces itself out through this opening. At first they are whitish, but soon turn brown, and finally nearly black on the upper part of the body. Their wings, which appeared as rudimentary at their first appearance, now show that they were nicely folded up in their cases, and soon expand rapidly. The body enlarges to near twice its size, and is from one and a half to two inches in length, and it is altogether a strong and vigorous insect.

Hogs are very food of them when they first approach the surface of the ground; and birds prey upon them afterwards; and they might suit the palate of those Eastern gastronomes who relish such things, as they are said to be so rich and oily that soap may be made of them. They do not appear to eat vegetables at all while above ground; the only injury they do is in piercing smalL twigs, where the female deposits her eggs. She is armed with an ovipositor of about half an inch in length, and of the size of a small knitting-needle, the point of which is composed of two pieces, and are lance shaped, having sharp teeth on the edges; by giving these an alternate motion, she is able to penetrate small twigs to their centre, and thus deposits four or five eggs in one incision. She thus moves forward about half an inch, and performs a like operation, and thus again and again, if the twig is smooth; but if there is a knot or branch, she advances further, or seeks another twig, never attempting to enter except in a fair place. Sometimes this is so repeated as to kill the twig; this being about all the injury they do in the winged state.

The male insect makes music, while the female does not The musical apparatus consists of two small drums, one under each wing, acted upon by strings or tendons within the body; the surface is concave and wrinkled, and looks like fine parchment. A tremulous motion is given to the surface, as if acted upon by currents of air from within, and thus produces the sound, which may bo heard a considerable distance, and where very numerous, may be heard half a mile. The cricket, and some other insects with a similar apparatus, are classed together under the name of "Cicadire." The eggs hatch in a few weeks, and the young insect has the same form as when it emerges from the ground nearly seventeen years afterwards. They descend into the ground, and do not seem to travel horizontally, as they never arise much farther from the stem of the tree than to where the branches reached to. It is supposed that they live upon the roots of trees and vegetables; indeed, some persons have affirmed that they have been found adhering to the roots of trees, as if sucking the sap from them. In this way they may do more harm than is generally supposed. It is probable that their numbers are lessening.

Where hogs have the range of orchards and forests, they destroy great numbers at their first appearance, before they deposit their eggs; and it is probable that the time is coming when their numbers will be much reduced from what they have been. Yardley Taylor.

Loudon County, Va.

[We were aware that the Eastern Locust is not like that of this continent; but in making the statement we should have lost our " point," and in addition, should not have received the above interesting article from Mr. Taylor; so it is all right. - Ed].

To the Editor of the Horticulturist: Clinton, N. C, Jan'y 29th, 1860.

Dear Sir: - I am very anxious to contribute whatever I can to science and art, and most especially Horticultural Science. There seems to have been a discovery made during the last year, in relation to our native grapes, that never has been made public. In the month of September, a citizen of our county, Mr. R. F. Boykin, presented to our Agricultural Society a section of the Isabella Grape-vine, or rather several sections I should have said, with grapes in every stage of development. The sections were from one foot to two and a half and three feet long, and generally had from one to three bunches of fine ripe grapes near the proximal end of the vine, while at the distal end they were either in bloom or the size of No. 4 shot, and from the distal end. back they gradually increased until they were grown, or full size.