150 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



throwing all possible weight backward on to the ovipositor, the 

 valves of which are kept constantly in motion, in which the hind 

 legs seem, as it were, to beat time. By this method the body is 

 rapidly worked into the soil, after which the insect becomes motion- 

 less until she has laid her eggs. Unfortunately the individual 

 mentioned above could not be followed in her final task. A second 

 example observed, on September 23, first drilled into a clear piece 

 of sandy soil, where she remained for 12 minutes, then becoming 

 dissatisfied she hopped away and rested for a short time upon 

 some herbage. The search was then continued and two more holes 

 made, the last of which proved satisfactory. Here she remained, 

 with her legs stretched far apart, for 87 minutes, after which the 

 cavity was carefully covered in the manner described under atlanis. 

 This last task occupying three minutes. The slowness of her 

 work was doubtless due to the lateness of the hour, 5.42 p.m. 

 and the coldness of the atmosphere, 51 degrees F. The egg-sack 

 contained 14 eggs. A third locust, noted on September 29, con- 

 tinued her quest for an egg site for 27 minutes, inserted her abdo- 

 men into the soil four times and made a wide circuit among low 

 bushes before she discovered a place to her liking. This pro\ed 

 to be alongside of a clump of grass upon which she rested her fore- 

 legs while drilling. Egg-laying on this occasion took 37 minutes; 

 time, 3.57 p.m.; temperature, 73 degrees F. A fourth specimen 

 on October 1st had alrieady inserted her abdomen when first 

 observed, and from t'hen took 49 minutes in ovipositing. The egg 

 mass consisted of 14 eggs. 



Melanophis packardii Scudd. Two examples were found on 

 October 1st, ovipositing on the edge of a trail. The operations 

 were evidently well under way and soon after being observed 

 both locusts completed their work, covering the egg chambers 

 with the abdomen in the customary manner. Egg-sacks contained 

 16 and 19 eggs, respectively. A third individual found searching 

 for an egg site on the same date postponed her search after 32 

 minutes, owing to the weather becoming rainy and cold. When 

 last seen she was hiding among the grass. 



Melanophis bivittatus Say. This is a locust of some economic 

 importance, especially in the vicinity of low lands. It is very 

 easily discovered while egg-laying, owing to its habits of oviposit- 



