74 THE EEPOET OF THE No. 36 



Psila rosae, the Cakbot Rust Fly^ was injurious at several places on Montreal 

 Island. It also occurs at Ottawa and in Eastern Quebec, and is probably found 

 throughout the Province. 



Cabbage insects are reported in their usual numbers. The cutworms and 

 maggots were perhaps less abundant. 



Onion Maggots and Cutworms, quite common here some years, were hardly 

 noticed this season. 



Crioceris 12-punctata, the 12-Spotted Asparagus Beetle, is rather common 

 late in the season. C. asparagi is rarely seen in this neighborhood. 



Grasshoppers were not noticeably destructive with us this season. 



INSECT MIGRATION AT AWBME, MANITOBA. 



Norman Criddle, Treesbank, Man. 



It is common knowledge that most birds migrate, and much has been written 

 relating to the cause and origin of their movements. But with the exception of 

 locust flights, commonly, though erroneously, considered to be due to lack of food, 

 and the well-known movements of the Monarch butterfly, few of us recognize that 

 practically all insects migrate at some time of their lives. Such, however, is the 

 case. Nor is the desire to travel confined to birds and insects. The buffalo was 

 known to move periodically south or north according to the season. So it is to-day 

 with the cariboo and several other mammals. We also have the autumn " flights " 

 of spiders, which, having no wings, spin themselves aerial conveyances which carry 

 them many miles. These are the well-known "fair-weather webs" we see floating 

 in countless numbers during fine September and October days. In the West they 

 are said to be a sign of fine weather, and as the spiders only spin them when it is 

 fine there is, after all, some truth in the assertion. And as wasps were our first 

 paper manufacturers, so spiders could probably claim to be the first animals, with- 

 out wings, to master the air. There is another wingless class, however, being unable 

 either to fly or build apparatus for the purpose, that still manages to travel in the 

 air. These are the tramps among the smaller animals who steal rides by attach- 

 ing themselves to such as can fly. As an example we have the well-known cases 

 of water snails clinging to ducks; and many other such as leeches, and even 

 Cray fish are distributed in the same way. And this is the reason why every piece 

 of water is stocked with the life adapted to live in it. 



To return to insects : I have already related how there is a periodic move- 

 ment of locusts commencing in late July and continuing well into August.* This, 

 however, relates only to those destructive kinds belonging to the genus Melanopltus. 

 There are many others that move in the same way; in fact I am convinced that 

 all winged Orthoptera migrate, or in other words, fly high into the air, and taking 

 advantage of the wind, travel long distances in search of new homes. My own 

 eyes have shown me that Teftix does so; also Hippiscus, Spharagemon, Dissosteira, 

 Arphia and Scudderia, and why have some crickets long wings unless for just such 

 a purpose ? 



Among the Lepidoptera we have, as I before mentioned, the Monarchs' well- 

 known movements south in autumn and return greatly reduced in numbers the 

 following spring. The movements of these butterflies are most interesting. They 



' Annual Report Ent. Soc. of Ont., 1911. Also Ott. Nat. 



