THE COMMON VICTORIAN LOCUST. 33 



America Professor Riley has tried several plans by which 

 the young locusts may be prevented from ascending trees, 

 viz., by placing a strip of bright tin, 4 or 5 inches wide, 

 tacked round a smooth tree, and in the case of trees with 

 rough trunks a very simple and effective plan is recom- 

 mended by the same scientist — " Take a piece of rope 

 and tack it round the tree with the tin fastened on to it so 

 as to leave a portion both above and below, any passages 

 or holes that may be between the tin and rope, or rope 

 and tree, being stopped up by filling the space between 

 tin and tree with earth above." 



The late Professor Piley, whose work in locust cam- 

 paigns is so well known, warmly recommends the destruc- 

 tion of eggs which are, as previously stated, deposited in 

 hard ground such as roads, open fields, &c., and we give 

 his own words as quoted by the late Mr. OllifF, of Sydney 

 — " As each female lays from 50 to 80 eggs or more, in 

 a mass about half-an-inch below the surface of the ground, 

 generally in bare and exposed places, and these egg 

 masses or pods are placed so close together that 150 or 

 200 may often be found to the square foot, it is obvious 

 that it is no very difficult matter to collect vast numbers 

 of the eo'O's when the breedina; grounds have been dis- 

 covered. In Algeria, during the recent visitation of 

 locusts, enormous quantities of eggs were collected by 

 the Arabs, who were paid for their labour at so much 

 per gallon. 



The means of destroying the eggs which have been 

 employed with more or less success have been described 

 by Professor Riley under the following heads: — 1. Har- 

 rowing. 2. Ploughing. 3. Irrigation. 4. Trampling. 

 5. Collecting. First with regard to harrowing. In the 

 autumn, or during dry mild weather in early winter, this 

 method will prove one of the most effectual means of 

 destroying the eggs and preventing future injury. A 

 revolving harrow or a cultivator will do excellent service 

 in this way not only in the field, but along roadways and 

 other bare and uncultivated places. The object should 



11597. c 



