— 24 — 



and by a series of muscular eilorts and the continued opening 

 and shutting of tlie valves she drills a hole, until in a few mi- 

 nutes (the time var3ing with tne nature of the soil) nearly the 

 whole abdomen is buried. The abdomen stretches to its utmost 

 for this purpose, especially at the middle, and the hole is 

 generally a little curved, and always more or less oblique (See 

 Fig. 6). Now, with hind legs hoisted straight above the back, 

 and the shanks hugging more or less closely the wings, she 

 commences ovipositing." 



After the hole has been completed (Fig. 6) it is lined with a 

 mucous matter which is extruded before egg-laying begins. 

 This lining acts as a sort of protection to the eggs, and at the 

 same time assists in keeping them together in a more or less 

 compact mass. The eggs are then extruded one by one until 

 all are laid ; and as this progresses are arranged in the cluster 

 more or less regularly as can be seen by again referring to the 

 illustration numbered 6. After this has been completed the 

 remainder of the hole is filled with ''a compact and cellulose 

 mass of the same material" as tliat previously used for lining 

 the inside of burrow and cementing the eggs together. Though 

 light and easih^ penetrated b\^ insect enemies, this material is 

 parti}' impervious to water, and therefore forms a more or 

 less thorough protection for the eggs as before stated. It is 

 much more abundant in some species of locusts than it is in 

 others. 



The egg-pod, or "cartucho" as it is called here in Argentina,, 

 is normall}^ composed of from sevent\^ to one hundred and 

 twenty eggs, which statement has also been previously made. 

 These latter are all arranged so that the little saltonas (mos- 

 quitos) upon hatching can each immediately work its way to 

 the surface through the pith-like plug which fills the upper and 

 slighth^ narrower neck of the hole without disturbing the 

 others. 



Wintering. — As already hinted at on a preceding page, the 

 Scliistocevca paraneusis passes the winter as an adult insect. 

 In this respect it differs quite materially in its life-history from 

 nearly all other locusts which are native to the countr}'. Why. 

 or how, this habit has been acquired by it need not be discussed 

 at this time. That such is the fact is sufficient to know in 

 dealing with it from the economic standpoint. 



The region most frequented by this insect during Avinter 

 seems to be that bordering the Rio Salado in Southeastern 



