197 



F., Podisma pedestris, L., Bryodema tuherculaiuin, F. The insecticides 

 used were Paris green (S-l lb. in 70-75 gallons of water) ; sodium 

 arsenite (IJ--^ lb. in 70-75 gallons of water) and zinc oxide (li-2 lb. 

 in 70-75 gallons of water). The total cost of the campaign exceeded 

 £2,100, including capital expenses on sprayers and some other appli- 

 ances, which reduced the cost of the actual work to some £1,700, or 

 to about 4.S. per acre. 



PuKHov (B. A.). MtponpiflTifl OpeH6yprcKaro fySepHCHaro SewcTBa 

 no 6opb6t Cb capaHMeBbiMH B-b 1915 r. m npoeKTi> Mtponpiflrifi 

 Ha 1916 r. [The Measures of the Zemstvo of the Government of 

 Orenburg for the Control of Locusts m 1915 and the Plan of 

 Measures for 1916.] — Published bv the Orenburg Zemstvo, 

 Orenburg, 1916, 100 pp. [Received 16th March 1917.] 



A sum amounting approximately to £0,000 was assigned by the 

 Zemstvo of the Government for the campaign against locusts in 1915. 

 In the autumn of 1914, over 11,000 acres were found to be infested 

 with egg-clusters, while the average percentage of those infested with 

 parasites did not exceed 7| per cent. The hatching of the eggs began 

 in the second half of May, when the operations were also started. 

 The population was this year more ready to assist, having largely 

 changed its attitude owing to the lessons and results of the operations 

 of the previous year, but delays arising from the non-delivery of various 

 materials and other reasons, chiefly connected v/ith the War, resulted 

 in serious damage to some 3,500 acres of crops. Better results were 

 obtained in localities where the egg-clusters were situated in the 

 steppes. The insecticide used in 1915 was sodium arsenite, Ih lb. 

 to 70-75 gallons of water, this being sufficient to avoid scorching the 

 plants. The cost amounted to about -is. per acre and the results 

 were regarded as satisfactory. Experiments with poisoned baits 

 carried out during the preceeding year had given encouraging results, 

 and in 1915 this method was applied over an area of about 180 acres. 

 The baits were prepared from bran, molasses, arsenic and water, 

 the proportion sufficient for 2 '7 acres being: 401b. of bran, IG lb. 

 of molasses, 2 lb. of arsenic and 4 or 4| gallons of water. 



It is thought possible that the same results might be obtained by 

 using less arsenic and molasses, thus reducing the cost of the prepara- 

 tion. Three men with a one-horse cart were able to cover in 10 hours 

 from 27 to 30 acres, the cost of both wages and materials for the baits 

 amounting to Is. 8d. per acre. The percentage of egg-clusters infested 

 with parasites or fungus diseases was 11|. Larvae of Mylabris were 

 found almost exclusively in those of Arcyptera f.avicosta, F., while 

 fungi were observed chiefly in tho.'^e of Gomphocerus sibiricus, L. 



A short report by G. M. Vinokurov is appended dealing with the 

 work in the Tcheliabinsk district. The species of locusts present 

 occurred in the following proportions :— G. sibiricus, 80% ; A.flavicosta, 

 prevalent in meadows, 10% ; Podisma p)edestris, L., chiefly in areas 

 overgrown with weeds, 5°o ; Oedipoda coerulescens, L., and other species, 

 5%. In some localities as many as 100% of the egg-clusters were 

 infested with Mylabris, principally those of A. flavicosta.. About 5% 

 of those of G. sibiricus were infested with Bombyliid flies of the genus 

 Anastoechus {Systoechus), while no Mylabris were found in over 1,000 



