B.C. Entomoi.ocical Society. 



M. affinis being the most numerous species present. An investigation of the 

 conditions was made by Mr. R. C. Treherne at the request of the Dominion 

 Entomologist and Provincial Government Forestry Branch, and extracts 

 from his report are given below : — 



" It was reported from the Department at Ottawa that close upon 

 200,000 acres of bunch-grass had been laid waste during the summer of 

 1914 in the Nicola Valley owing to the outbreak of the locust M. affinis. 

 The attacks from this insect had been increasing during the last three or 

 four 3'ears. Mr. Cleasby, of Coutlee, near Merritt, Secretary of the Nicola 

 Stock-breeders' Association, said ' that in his recollection the years surround- 

 ing the periods of 1898, 1907, and the past summer of 1914 were the most 

 serious cases on record.' I gathered from Mr. Ward, of the Douglas Lake 

 Cattle Company, that the locusts began around the Minnie Lake District, 

 a point 25 miles south of Quilchena, and passed through, investing Quilchena 

 to the west and Douglas Lake to the east, going north nearly to Stump Lake. 

 This area approximately involved land 40 miles by 20 miles and was the 

 centre of the outbreak, while outlying points such as Merritt suffered to 

 a lesser degree. On the afternoon of November 6th I made a detour of 

 the hills on foot around the house and buildings at Quilchena. On one 

 small hill immediately behind the house I found innumerable eggs. I took 

 an area 3 feet by i foot and carefully sifted over the soil by means of a 

 hand-trowel. I should judge that between 300 and 400 eggs existed to the 

 square foot of soil, 3 inches deep. Eleven predatory larvae were taken in 

 the area 3 feet by i foot ; thus approximately four predatory larvae demolish 

 300 eggs. The hill in question was just a slight rise off the general level of 

 the land, dry, practically devoid of vegetation, and the soil mostly clay, 

 but very plentifully mixed with loose rock and fine shaly stones. The 

 greatest number of eggs were found at the summit of the hill, but eggs 

 could be found easily on the sides and at the base of the hill. On the open 

 slopes and level places eggs could be found here and there, but were 

 scattered and not together in restricted areas, which was the case on slightly 

 rising ground and hill-tops where the soil was gravelly or clay well mixed 

 with small stones, etc. Larvae of predatory beetles were found freely where 

 eggs were thickest, while with the isolated clusters no beetle larvae were 

 found. Mr. Guichon, of Quilchena, said that, of course, locusts were with 

 them every year, but that for the years surrounding 1889, 1898, 1907, and 

 1914, and for approximately three years surrounding these dates locusts 

 did a great deal of damage. Probably the 1889 outbreak was the most 

 serious. 



■' Li 1919 locust outbreaks occurred in four widely separated points in 

 British Columbia. The first outbreak reported was between Bridesville 

 and Rock Creek, in the Boundary country, where a large swarm of Camnula 

 pellucida which had been working north through Washington State since 

 1914 crossed the Canadian boundary in this section. Considerable damage 

 was done to the grain-crops. An active campaign, however, was started 

 in Washington in 1918 and continued in 1919, and the Canadian farmers 



