94 
ticed in large numbers north of Edgewood and throughout that valley. 
At Montague I was informed that, on account of the unusually dry sea- 
son and the crickets and grasshoppers, the crop had been an entire 
failure in that district. Around this latter place no vegetation except 
a few sage-bushes were visible. Along the creeks, where a little grass 
and vegetation was still growing, the locusts were swarming. Dissos- 
teira obliterata Thos. was abundant throughout the valley. Even in 
places where for a half a mile not a shrub or any dry plant was visible 
they appeared to be happy, but were seen abundantly along water- 
courses and places still affording some food. Melanoplus cinereus Seudd. 
was more numerously represented in places where food was still to be 
had, even if dry. But few specimems of M. femur-rubrum DeGeer 
were seen, while M. packardii Scudd. was the most abundant of all, 
feeding upon grasses along streams, and in all the meadows, where it 
outnumbers ail the other species put together. Here they were often 
observed, always the female, caught in the web of a largespider, which 
* feeds upon them. 
M. devastator Scudd. was not met with throughout the summer, while 
Camnula pellucida Scudd. was only seen occasionally in the places vis- 
ited. Another numerous species in the Shasta Valley was Hesperotettix 
pacificus Bruner, but this was found feeding upon sage-bushes only. 
About eight other species of locusts were found at Montague, of which 
Dissosteira carolina Linn., Trimerotropis fallax Sauss., Conozora wal- 
lula Scudd., and Stenobothrus coloradus Thos., were the most abundant. 
Two species of large crickets have been very numerous at Montague 
also joining in the destructive work—Anabrus simplex (?) Hald., and the 
other a species of Steirovis. The common cricket, Gryllus luctuosus 
Serv., was abundant in the central part of the State, often coming in 
large numbers into cities and into houses. 
