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Illustrated Description Of Russia

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Invasion of the Steppes of Southern Russia by Locusts


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INVASION OF THE STEPPES OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA BY LOCUSTS

INVASION OF THE STEPPES OF SOUTHERN RUSSIA BY LOCUSTS
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The locusts appear to be aware that, in the village-gardens, they will find many things to please their palates; and, accordingly, they seldom fail to go a little out of their way when they see a village to the right or left of their line of march. The terror of a village attacked by one of these swarms may be more easily imagined than described. Fancy a heavy fall of snow, each flake a little black., voracious insect, and these, as they fall, covering the ground to the depth of two or three inches, while the air still continues obscured by the myriads that remain fluttering about! The roofs of the houses, and every inch of ground about them, are covered by a thick mass of crawling vermin, crackling, hissing, and buzzing! Every aperture of the house may be carefully closed, yet they come down the chimney by thousands, and beat against the windows like hail! During the locust-years, many of these swarms settled upon Odessa, covering the streets and public places, dropping by hundreds into the kettles and sa ucepans in the kitchens, invading at once the ballroom and the granary, strutting in the public walks by millions, and displaying their ugly antics alike in the hovel of the beggar and the fine lady's boudoir.

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Sears, Robert. An Illustrated Description of the Russian Empire. New York: Robert Sears, 1855