▁noted ▁that ▁upon ▁h atch ing ▁from ▁eggs ▁depos ited ▁in ▁the ▁tw igs ▁of ▁trees , ▁the ▁young ▁insect s ▁ran ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁earth ▁and ▁" enter ed ▁the ▁first ▁opening ▁that ▁they ▁could ▁find ". ▁He ▁reported ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁discover ▁them ▁ ▁below ▁the ▁surface , ▁but ▁that ▁others ▁had ▁reported ly ▁found ▁them ▁ ▁deep . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 5 , ▁Thomas ▁Jefferson ▁recorded ▁in ▁his ▁" G arden ▁Book " ▁the ▁insect ' s ▁ 1 7 - year ▁period icity , ▁writing ▁that ▁an ▁acquaint ance ▁remembered ▁" gre at ▁loc ust ▁years " ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 4 ▁and ▁ 1 7 4 1 , ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁others ▁re called ▁another ▁such ▁year ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 4 ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁insect s ▁had ▁again ▁emer ged ▁from ▁the ▁ground ▁at ▁Mont ic ello ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 5 . ▁He ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁females ▁lay ▁their ▁eggs ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁tw igs ▁of ▁trees ▁while ▁above ▁ground . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 8 0 0 , ▁Benjamin ▁Ban ne ker , ▁who ▁lived ▁near ▁El lic ott ' s ▁M ills , ▁Maryland , ▁wrote ▁in ▁his ▁record ▁book ▁that ▁he ▁re called ▁a ▁" gre at ▁loc ust ▁year " ▁in ▁ 1 7 4 9 , ▁a ▁second ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 6 ▁during ▁which ▁the ▁insect s ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁" full ▁as ▁numerous ▁as ▁the ▁first " ▁and