61 



est benefit was derived from great flocks of blackbirds that congre- 

 gated in nearly every infested field and ate the worms. The w^orms 

 that snrvived burrowed into the dirt and spun silken tubes about 2 

 inches in length, in Avhich they are spending the winter in the larval 

 condition. 



Grasshoppers are always abundant enough in Colorado, but the 

 past summer much of the State has been comparatively free from 

 the introduced s]5ecies [Melanoplus hirittatus Say, M. diffei-entialis 

 Thos., and J/, femui'-ruhnim DeG.), which are the cause of heaviest 

 losses to farm crops. A native species, Anahnis f^intpJex Hald, com- 

 monly called '" Mormon cricket '' or " Idaho cricket." occurred in 

 unprecedented numbers in portions of Routt County. Many of the 

 ranchmen became alarmed and incpiiries were sent in to the experi- 

 ment station to know what could be done. In past years the '' crick- 

 ets '' have remained almost entirely upon the nati\'e ranges, where 

 they did no damage to cultivated crops. For a series of years the 

 cricket armies have been increasing in numbers and have marched 

 steadily eastward until this year, when they entered cultivated 

 regions along the mountain streams and destroyed crops of grain, 

 potatoes, and hay, as well as everything planted in gardens. The 

 infested region, wdiich is over SO miles from the nearest railroad, 

 was visited by both ]VIr. S. A. Johnson and the writer, and much 

 information was gathered in regard to the habits and past history 

 of this interesting migratory grasshopper. The results of our in- 

 vestigations will appear later in an experiment station bulletin. 



The potato flea -beetle {Epitrix cucumei-is Harr.) was unusually 

 abundant in the potato fields of the Greeley district the past summer, 

 where it caused many thousand dollars' worth of loss to potato grow- 

 ers. A prominent potato dealer estimated the loss at fully a half 

 million dollars. The beetles were abundant upon the tops, but did 

 their chief harm by boring into the tubers. From larvae taken in 

 the tubers in September, pupa3 and adults were obtained. Press 

 Bulletin 23 of the Colorado Experiment Station, treating of this 

 insect, was prepared by Mr. S. A. Johnson. I am calling this insect 

 the potato flea -beetle because it is always found congregating upon 

 potatoes and tomatoes, and seldom occurs upon cucumbers or other 

 cucurbitaceous plants, so far as my experience goes. 



A beet leaf-miner, probably Pegomya. vicina Lint., has been abun- 

 dant enough to attract considerable attention the past summer, 

 particularly in the northern sugar-beet fields of the State. The 

 maggots were noticed in the leaves of young beets the first of June, 

 and they Avere very abundant in all stages during the last half of 

 August. The white eggs are deposited singly or in groups of two, 

 three, or four upon the under side of the leaves. 



