^ 



196 



Maltzev (M. v.). OnbiTbi BbipaiMHBaHifl nepe/ieTHOM capaHHH bii 

 MCKycCTBdHHUX'b ycnOBiflX"b. [Experiments in breeding Locusta. 

 migratoria, L., under artificial Conditions.] — «Tpyflbl CenbCKO- 

 X03flMCTBeHHO-6aKTepiOJ10rMHeCKOM Jla6opaTOpiM.» [The Trans- 

 actions of the Agricultural-Bacteriological Laboratory], vol. v, no. 15, 

 Petrograd, 1914, 25 pp., 19 figs. [Received ISth March 1917.] 



Experiments on the artificial breeding of Locusta migratoria, L., in 

 the Agricultural Bacteriological Laboratory of the Department of 

 Agriculture are described. These lasted from November 1913 till 

 December 1914, the original egg-clusters having been received from 

 the Stavropol Entomological Bureau. The temperature conditions in 

 the laboratory were approximately those under natural conditions. 

 The egg-clusters, which proved to be quite free from parasites, were 

 placed in earth in boxes, some of them in a horizontal and others in 

 a vertical position ; in some cases the eggs were separated from the 

 spongy mass of the cluster. While the period of quiescence of the 

 embryo in the egg does not influence the rate of development, 

 the hatching of the larvae from the horizontal clusters took 

 place more nearly simultaneously, being completed in 1 or 2 

 days, while in case of vertically placed clusters, this was spread over 

 5 to 7 days. Eggs separated from the clusters hatched at the normal 

 time. In from 40 to 48 hours after hatching the larvae begin to feed 

 and in the absence of other food devour each other. This was observed 

 in all the larval stages, though cannibalism does not occur among the 

 adults. The larvae were removed into breeding cages and fed on 

 young seedlings of rye, oats and barley ; in winter it was necessary to 

 supplement this food with banana skins, which proved very attractive, 

 and with hay containing a large amount of PJileum prafense, Alojjecurus 

 jpratensis and Poa pratensis. Larvae fed on green food developed a 

 fatal disease of the digestive organs, and the individuals which 

 survived neither paired nor oviposited. A description of the process 

 of moulting is given and a table showing the dates of moulting, 

 pairing and oviposition. A further report is promised on the rearing 

 of the next generation. 



PuKHov (B. A.). MtponpiflTifl OpeHSyprcKaro SeMCTBa no 6opb6t 

 C"b capaHMeBbIMM B"b 1914 rofly. [The Measures of the Zemstvo of 

 the Government of Orenburg for the Campaign against Locusts 

 in 1914.] — Published by the Orenburg Zemstvo, Orenburg, 1916, 

 27 pp. [Received 16th March 1917.] 



This is a series of reports from different districts of the government 

 edited by the author, who was in general charge of the campaign 

 in 1914, in which year a special organisation against locusts was ini- 

 tiated by the Zemstvo. Chief attention was paid to the Tcheliabinsk 

 district, where a large outbreak occurred in 1913 and was again 

 threatening in 1914. The operations were conducted over some 

 8,500 acres. In the great majority of cases the egg-clusters were 

 discovered during the prehminary investigations on or near arable 

 land, so that danger threatened the crops from the first day of hatching ; 

 the steppes and meadows were infested only in some places. Only a 

 small proportion of the egg-clusters were parasitised. The principal 

 species present were : — Gompliocerus sibiricus, L., Arcyptcra flavicosta, 



