THE COMMON VICTORIAN LOCUST. 35 



edge of the swamp at Restdown with hessian, and inside 

 carried out the experiments on thousands of locusts in 

 the hopping stages with both bread and water fungus, 

 keeping the grass damp by watering every evening. The 

 result in six days' time was really splendid, proving at 

 once the efficacy of the fungus under moist conditions ; 

 outside the fungus would not spread. Dry conditions 

 continued until the 4th of November, rain fell copiously 

 for three or four days after that, with a close muggy 

 atmosphere. I infected with water fungus in three flying 

 swarms during this time, and on the 1 Itli I first obtained 

 my success, since then locusts are to be found dying 

 daily in hundreds in all stages, and all through the in- 

 fected paddocks in a south-westerly direction dead locusts 

 are to be found. I raised the fungus from the dead 

 locusts in three days in moisture, thus proving the 

 fungus was the cause of death ; and examination proved 

 that the intestines were fully eaten up with the fungus, 

 under unfavorable conditions, the mean sun temperature 

 from the 12th October to the 4th November was 108'5°, 

 shade 68*6°, rainfall 38 points ; under favorable con- 

 ditions, from the 4th November to the 25th inst., the 

 rainfall was over 1^ inches, mean shade register 74'4°, 

 sun 102°. From this we require that moist weather con- 

 ditions are essential to the success of infection. In the 

 nymph or hopping stages bread fungus can be easily and 

 readily applied, grass and water are then plentiful, and 

 dews at night will keep the fungus growing, and provide 

 infected food for the locusts in that stage. At the end of 

 October water fungus is undoubtedly the best and surest 

 means of infection, and I recommend it in all its stages. 

 It is easily grown at a temperature of anything from 65° 

 to 100°, the warmer the better, but at 70° after three days 

 from preparation it is quite ready for use, and the direc- 

 tions given are quite explicit. All that is necessary for 

 infecting is a hoop-net, made of netting (mosquito), 2 feet 

 in diameter, for the purpose of catching the locusts ; 

 after capture dip them into the glass, then take them out 



