&28 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XV. 



worth while to note these particulars, and it will probably lead to other speci- 

 mens being found in the same locality. I imagine they are (or were) regular 

 visitors to these quiet haunts and are probably spread over various parts of the 

 Duars. 



H. B. THORNHILL, Lt.-Col. 

 November 1th, 1903. 



No. XVI —LOCUSTS IN GUJARAT.. 



A recent article in the Times of India gave the impression that the locust 

 which invaded the Bombay Presidency, a month or two back, in such large- 

 numbers, was the " Bombay " species, the yellow-striped Acridium suc-> 

 einctum. An interesting letter from Mr. Young, which followed the article, 

 also stated that specimens which had been sent for identification to the Society 

 in 1901 from Gujarat, were all of this species. It may, therefore, be of interest 

 to state that the insects which visited this Agency (Mahi Kantha) in October 

 last were of that more notorious species Acridium peregrinum, as were the 

 swarms that invaded the neighbouring British Districts of Prantij and, I believe, 

 Kaira and Ahmedabad. I know that some specimens sent from Ahmedabad to 

 the Government Entomologist at Surat wei'e identified by that gentleman as 

 being A. peregrinurn. 



A point of interest was the undecided course of flight taken by the swarms, 

 which coming in the first instance from a north-westerly direction, circled 

 round and moved backwards and forwards, with the result that in several 

 instances in these districts the same place would seem to have been visited 

 two or three times by the same swarm. I am not aware that there was 

 any strong or changeable wind at the time which might account for these 

 vagaries. 



Considerable damage was done in some places, the crop that suffered most 

 being the ripe or ripening bajri. 



The one large flight that I saw myself near Sadra (on the 14th October) was 

 flying, at about midday, in a south-westerly direction, at a rate of, I should say, 

 about seven miles per hour. 



The front of the swarm was about f mile in breadth and its length I estimat- 

 ed at from six to seven miles. The depth perpendicularly was generally from 

 20 to 30 feet, tha lowest individuals flying at not more than 8 feet from the 

 ground, but here and there rose columns some hundreds of feet into the air. 

 The great bulk went on steadily until lost to sight, but a certain number stopped 

 to feed for half an hour or so in a fiold of jowari, eating only the grain which was 

 nearly ripe. I intended to try whether blank ammunition would have the effect 

 of moving them on, but they did not stay long enough for me to make the 

 experiment. 



A. H. MOSSE. 

 Camp Vao, Mahi Kantha, 

 12/7* December 1903. 



