474 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



mous that the latter cause but little apparent depletion in their ranks. 

 Many of our song birds eat them, as well as black-birds and crows. 

 The sparrow-hawk's crop is filled with them in the fall, and at least one 

 variety of tern helps the farmer materially in this direction. Skunks 

 and other predatory mammals are partial to them, and we have per- 

 sonally observed the thirteen-lined gopher (Sphermophilus tridecem- 

 lineatus) catching and devouring them in the cool mornings of autumn. 

 Among insect enemies, parasitic and predaceous flies are very useful in 

 their attack upon the eggs as well as upon the hoppers themselves. 

 Various beetles, notably some of the meloids or " Blister Beetles," 

 insects which are themselves destructive to crops in the adult stage, 

 make some amends for their destructiveness by preying upon the eggs. 



Farmers, seeing small mites fastened to the wings and bodies of 

 grasshoppers, have been wont to comfort themselves with the thought 

 that these animals were reducing the number of the pests. Inasmuch 

 as we have seen female hoppers in the fall, laden with these possible 

 parasites, laying eggs for the next generation, having themselves com- 

 pleted their destructive life history, we believe too much reliance has 

 been placed upon this phenomenon in the past and are inclined to 

 regard their occurrence on grasshoppers as a means of dispersal of the 

 species of mite in question, rather than a serious drain upon the 

 vitality of the grasshopper. 



It would seem, then, that the farmer must rely principally upon his 

 own effort in this warfare, unless forsooth nature favors him by sending 

 many cold drenching rains in May and June when the hoppers are 

 hatching, which not only result in great mortality amongst the insects 

 themselves, but give the crops such a stimulus that they are better 

 enabled to withstand the inroad of these pests. 



