60 THE EEPOET OF THE No. 36 



Towards the end of June a plant of horse-radisli was noticed by the roadside 

 about a mile from ray house, and on examination was also found to have its leaves 

 riddled with holes, and scores of beetles were ready to hop off wlhen approached 

 too closely. 



Although our common species of Phyllotreta, P. vittata, has a wide range of 

 food plants among cruciferous plants both wild and cultivated, P. armoracio' seems 

 to have restricted itself to the horse-radish {Nasturtium armoracio) and marsh 

 cress {Nasturtium palustre). If it should develop a liking for cabbage, it will be 

 able to find an abundance of food in this part of the Island of ^Montreal. There 

 was no sign of either eggs or larvae on leaves or stems of the horse-radish plants 

 at any time during the summer; if the larvto aUack the plants they must do it 

 below ground among the roots. 



THE MIGEATION OF SOME NATIVE T.OCrSi.-. 

 Norman Griddle, Treesbank, Manitoba. 



We read from time to time, and have done so for many years past, of vast 

 hordes of locusts darkening the sky, as they sweep onward from unknown breed- 

 ing grounds. How they devastated the crops and ate up every living leaf in any 

 locality they happened to make a stopping place, and in fact left behind a deso- 

 late and leafless waste where a few hours previous all had been luxury and beauty. 

 Such is said to be the case, at times, in parts of Africa, India, and certain South 

 American countries. There is, however, no longer any mystery connected with 

 these visitations. Science has explained all that; has discovered the breeding 

 grounds and is doing much to eliminate the injury by guarding againsit attacks 

 and providing for them when they occur. 



We are not, as a rule, apt to associate our common grasshoppers — many of 

 which, however, are true locusts— with those devastating species. In fact of all 

 our many different kinds we usually claim but one as truly migratory, nam.ely the 

 Rocky Mountain Locust, Melanoplus spretis, the locust made famous by having 

 a special Commission appointed to investigate its ravages. This species in the 

 past, has done immense damage to vegetation mostly in the United States, but it 

 also invaded a great portion of Manitoba in the seventies, and is specially remem- 

 bered on account of its having practically swept the Eed Eiver Valley clear of 

 vegetation. Since then there have been two minor outbreaks confined to Southern 

 Manitoba, the locusts having evidently flown from somewhere south. In spite 

 of the prevalence of this species in Manitoba, at times, it is very doubtful whether 

 it can be classed as a native, a distinction which, after all, we are not anxious for. 



Leaving out M. spretis we have still several distmetive species, foremost among 

 them being the lesser Migratory TjOQxi&tMelanoplns atlanis, with several minor lights 

 such as M. gladstoni, M femur-nib rum, M. angustipennis, M. packardii, M. minor 

 M. hivittaius and others, all of which are very injurious at times and migrate reg- 

 ularly during the months of July and August. 



It is a wonderful thing this migration. Few animals are free from a desire 

 or instinctive stimulus to move to other parts and so spread the species. Plants, 

 also, are constantly doing it by means of their seeds and those that cannot go far by 

 their own exertions, fasten themselves to such as can. and so, as with ourselves, air. 

 land and water are all made use of for tlie purpose of travel 



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