92 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



large scale to destroy the locusts, which were to a great extent kept under by the 

 energetic measures taken against them. The Cyprus screen system, described 

 above, was found utterly inapplicable, and had to be abandoned. A plan was devised 

 of forming lines of beaters armed with fan- shaped besoms of twigs, so close 

 together that locusts could not escape between them, and marching the beaters 

 from end to end of the field, vigorously beating the grass or crop in front with a 

 view to crush the young locusts. The plan was successful to some extent in short 

 grass, but it was evidently destructive to the growing crops and could not be tried 

 on them. The plan of dragging rapidly, for ten or twelve yards, country blankets 

 or dhotars along the surface of the field where locusts lay, and then squeeezing up 

 the cloth to kill the locusts contained in it, was found useful in thick bushv tracts, 

 but required, for its successful working, a good deal of activity and intelligence. 

 The most successful method employed was the bag net system, which consisted of a 

 capacious bag, much like a huge bolster case, but open at the side instead of at the 

 end, and five or six feet deep by eight or ten feet long. This was held by two men, 

 one at each end. The open side of the bag net was run along over the grass or 

 young crops, and as the young locusts tumbled in, they could not get out again ; 

 when nearly full, the mouth was closed and the bag twisted up together so as to 

 kill the locusts that had been caught. This was found to be a simple and easy 

 means of destroying the locusts, and the people took to it readily all over the 

 locusts-affected area. Little or no injury was done to the crops by the men 

 working it, and millions of insects were killed. 



E. C. COTES, 



Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



The 6M ( November 1889. 



PROCEEDINGS. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE DECEMBER MEETING. 



The usual monthly meeting of the Members of this Society took place on Thursday, 

 the 5th December 1 880, Dr. D. MacDonald presiding. 



The following new Members were elected :— Dewan Bahadur Luxumanrao Jugon- 

 nath Vaidya, Mr. Vundravandas Purshotumdas, Mr. R. H. E. Thompson, Dr. H. S. G. 

 Jayakar, Col. H. Powlett, Mr. H. J. P. Margrave, M.I.C.E., and Dr. H. E. Drake- 

 Brockmau, P .Z.S. 



