THE GREEN-STRIPED LOCUST: ITS MIDWINTER APPEARANCE. 189 



with wing-pads extending half the length of the abdomen. In Fig. 54, 

 the larva is shown at a, and the full-grown and winged insect at h. 



Upon addressing Mr. Gillette for further information concerning 

 them, and proposing some observations desirable to be made, the follow- 

 ing reply was received under date of February 28th. 



Their Appearance in Genesee County. 



The young grasshoppers were first seen as early as the 10th of Feb- 

 ruary. No winged ones were observed, and I think it is safe to say 

 that there were none. When first noticed, they were upon an old stone- 

 wall, apparently sunning themselves. 



On February T4th, having occasion to cross an old unused meadow, 

 and also a ten -acre lot of fall-sown wheat, I found them in great num- 

 bers. They were very active, and it was no little effort to catch and 

 cage those sent to you. There Avas no snow upon the fields at the time, 

 but along the wall where there were patches of snow, they were as lively 

 as upon the grass, and seemed rather to enjoy a good " hop, skip and 

 jump " upon the smooth surface. There have been no birds in this 

 vicinity [reply to question], consequently I do not think that they have 

 been disturbed. They may have been attacked by snow-birds, although 

 quite scarce, but not to my knowledge. 



Later, upon the ist of April, Mr. Gillette saw '^ a large flock of black- 

 birds [probably the red-winged black-bird, AgelcBus Phceuiceus] feed- 

 ing sumptuously upon the poor persecuted grasshoppers. The birds 

 came in immense flocks." The grasshoppers had not up to that date 

 increased perceptibly in number or in size. The nights had been cold, 

 " but the 'hopper was early up waiting for the sun." Of a half-dozen 

 specimens inclosed in a box February 15, without food, three were alive 

 two weeks later. Upon the 2 2d of April, Mr. G. wrote: " I have yet 

 one grasshopper alive of the original six. He has to-day completed 

 his ninth week without a morsel of food, and although he seems to be 

 failing, I hope to keep him another week and give him a good record." — 

 " The sole survivor made his escape after a confinement of ten weeks 

 and three days." 



The grasshoppers continued to be seen at Bergen until April 9th 

 after having been observed for nearly a month. 



Their Appearance in Westchester County, 



The Whsiny Bvenmg Journal, of February 21st, contained the follow- 

 ing notice: 



The farmers in the vicinity of Mount Kisco, Westchester county, N. 

 Y., are greatly troubled in mind concerning the appearance of a black 

 grasshopper which was noticed two or three days ago in the fields. 

 They were first discovered by George Sypher on the farm of Isaac 

 Thome. The young man was walking through the field, and he noticed 



