58 Mr. F. Tlioniscn on 



Both our inioratino; locusts, the Red Locust and the Brown 

 Locust, do a great amount o£ damage, and the locust question 

 is a most serious one for the South African fanner, as the 

 growing crops, the ripening grain which meant (hiys of toil 

 and labour, even the grass on the veldt is often devoured and 

 swept away by these greedy insects. In the early stages, as 

 Yoetgangers, the farmer can work against them with con- 

 siderable ease, but when the flying swarms appear he can 

 only try to drive them away. There are, however, many 

 little feathered friends which hel]), and which although they 

 niio'ht not be able to avert this danger altogether will do a 

 creat deal in minimisino; it. 



To show what part the l)irds take in locust-destruction, the 

 following will be of interest. A friend of mine who used to 

 trap birds, and also animals for collections, often told me that 

 it was useless to put out snares or lay tra])S when a swarm of 

 locusts, either mature insects or voetgangers, were in the 

 neighbourhood. All birds follow these insects, feeding on 

 them, and no bait was touched ; he had to wait until the 

 locusts were either eaten up or had passed. 



To the west of the Transvaal is a vast waterless stretch of 

 country, the Kalahari Desert. The swarms which are hatched 

 in the Transvaal travel westwards as soon as they are strong 

 enough to fly long distances. These swarms seem to stay in 

 the west for some time and return during the winter months- 

 Last year the first swarms came in May, and this season as 

 early as March. 



What is the attraction which causes the adult insect to go 

 west, and come east in winter to lay eggs? There are ditferent 

 views which could be taken on this question. We find 

 during the summer months many swarms of birds, such as 

 the " Glareola," the " Abdimia Stork," the " European 

 Stork," and the " W attled Starling," hunting and eating the 

 locusts ; in fact most of these birds live on locusts alone. I 

 have often noticed these insects chased by birds ; they seem 

 to be well aware of the danger, and either try to get away 

 and out of reach by great speed of flight, or they drop to the 

 ground and take cover. Many a time I have seen vocl- 



