59 



locusts in the southern portion of Santa Fe, and while under the obser- 

 vation of the writer, onh' four distinct species of locusts were found 

 that had died as the result of its attack. These were the large migra- 

 tory species of Argentina and the neighboring countries, Schistocerca 

 paranensls Burrn. , Zonlojjoda tarsata Serv. , D'lpon thus communis Brun. , 

 and Dichroplus elongatus Giglio-Tos. It might be of interest, however, 

 to know that each of these, aside from t\\Q paranensls^ becomes locally 

 destructive at times. This fungus, like Empusa, flourishes best during 

 warm, humid weather. 



Having obtained such satisfactory results in transmitting this disease 

 to other locusts while conducting experiments in Argentina, a quantity 

 of dead fungus-covered insects, like those described above, were 

 gathered and brought back to the United States for' use in attempting 

 to destroy our North American species. Accordingly, in July and 

 August, 1898, large numbers of several of our most common Melanopli 

 were gathered aiid placed in breeding cages along with a goodly supply 

 of green food and the bodies of the dead fungus-covered insects. The 

 powdered bodies of such dead locusts were also strewn over the food 

 and moistened earth at the bottom of the cages. In addition, to these, 

 similar experiments Avere attempted in fields where our native locusts 

 were exceedingly numerous, but in all cases these experiments failed 

 to show a single instance of the possible transmission of the fungus to 

 our native species. 



More recent attempts at obtaining an artificial growth of this South 

 American locust-killing fungus on various media in the laboratory 

 have likewise proved utter failures, the reason for this being, no doubt, 

 the great age of the material at hand. 



Notwithstanding the failures in the experiments just recorded, this, 

 in the opinion of the writer, is one of the most promising locust- 

 attacking fungi, since it was found to withstand considerable variation 

 in climate and to attack at least four widely difl'erent insects. Then, 

 too, its close relationship with the so-called chinch-bug fungus {Spo- 

 rotrichum glohuliferuvi) gives us some reason for encouragement in 

 the future. 



On July IT, 1900, a letter was received from Mr. George W. Martin, 

 Sterling, Colo., who had undertaken some experiments with the South 

 African locust fungus, a supply of which was furnished him from 

 Washington. This letter reads as follows: 



Dear Sir: I have succeeded in killing a large number of grasshoppers on 60 acres 



of alfalfa, covering the ground with them for one-fourth mile. The disease is still 



spreading and is now 500 yards fi-om where the infected ones were placed. I do not 



see why it will not kill all of them. I use corn meal, 2 parts sugar, 1 part, for dose, 



feeding at 4 p. m., again 6 p. m., putting them out at 7. I drive over the fields to be 



infected. The fungus seems to V>e better a week old than earlier. 



Yours, truly, 



George W. Martin. 



