22 Journal New York Entomological Society, ["^'oi- xxvi. 



cricket is a considerable pest in numerous localities and, as one might 

 imagine, a number of remedies or methods of dealing with it have 

 been suggested. Among these, the following may be noted. First, 

 using poisoned baits such as corn treated with arsenic, or cornstarch, 

 water and phosphorus, these to be put in burrows or scattered on the 

 ground l)eforc seeding time. Second, by injecting some substance 

 into the burrows such as naphtha, petroleum, a 25 per cent, emulsion 

 of petroleum, soapy water or calcium carbide. In this latter case, 

 the moisture present liberates acetylene gas. Third, trapping the 

 insects by a pot sunk into the soil and covered with a board or ])y 

 means of holes filled with manure or vessels filled with water placed 

 in the soil at different distances. Fourth, placing material on the 

 surface such as lime at the rate of 16 cwt. to the acre or the use of 

 naphthalene in the ground as it is being tilled. Fifth, by destroying 

 the nests of the insects. 



At Rutherford, a workman who was employed in the nursery, and 

 who was engaged part of the time in dealing with this pest, used the 

 following method to destroy the eggs and female. A circular gallery 

 of the female was located by its exit hole, then the circular burrow 

 followed around and with a trowel a cone-shaped mass of earth was 

 removed, including the egg chamber and its contents, which were de- 

 stroyed. The surface of the cone-shaped depression thus left was 

 smoothed down and the gallery running from it, into which the 

 female retreated, located and its opening cleaned out. Then a spoon- 

 ful of kerosene was poured into the depression and , following this, 

 enough water to fill up the depression and gallery. The kerosene 

 rising to the surface flowed with the water into the gallery in which 

 the female was hiding and forced her to emerge. 



It might be added that the mole cricket is capable of producing 

 a sound which is said to be not so shrill as that of the domestic 

 cricket. Figuier states, '' from the month of April the males betake 

 themselves to the entrance of their burrows and make their cries of 

 appeal. Their notes are slow, vibrating and monotonous and re- 

 peated a long time without interruption and somewhat resembling 

 the cry of the owl or goatsucker." Step describes it as a dull sound 

 like "the churring of the goatsucker among birds." In consequence 

 of this sound, according to Wood, it has received the following 



