36 THE CHINCH BUG. 
swell the amount to considerably in excess of $330,000,000 for the 
period from 1850 to 1906. Within the last ten years the insect has 
become more injurious in Oklahoma, western Kansas, and northern 
Texas, localities not included in these estimates, and although the 
spring rains serve to destroy the young bugs, outbreaks in northern 
Texas and Oklahoma are not rare in fields.of wheat, corn, and barley. 
If the indirect losses were to be added, the amount would indeed be 
enormous. During the outbreak in Ohio at least two farmers became 
discouraged, and, thinking that the loss of their crops by the attack 
of chinch bugs would result in their financial ruin, in their despond- 
ency they sought relief in suicide. 
When we take into consideration that the financial losses as above 
estimated have not fallen upon the entire nation, but almost without 
exception upon the nine States previously named (see fig. 10), it will 
be seen that this diminutive insect constitutes a formidable enemy to 
the agriculturist of these States. In fact, small as it is, this pest has 
cost the people of these nine States a sum of money which, a few 
years ago, would have defrayed the entire expense of the National 
Government for a whole year. Fire excepted, there is probably no 
other factor that has caused such an enormous financial loss within 
the same period over the same area of country. 
NATURAL CHECKS. 
All adverse natural influences affecting the chinch bug will be 
treated under this head, with the exception of animal and vegetable 
foes, which are considered here as natural enemies. 
INFLUENCE OF PRECIPITATION ON THE CHINCH BUG. 
There is probably no more potent factor in restraining the increase 
in numbers of this species than is to be found in meteorological influ- 
ences consequent upon rain. The fact has long been known that the 
years of greatest abundance of the chinch bug were preceded by a 
series of years during which there had been a deficiency in the rainfall 
over the area of country devastated by this species. In fact, it has in 
a general way come to be understood that dry seasons are favorable 
and wet seasons unfavorable for the development of the chinch bug, 
though the details of the phenomenon have never been very carefully 
and elaborately worked out. The entomological and meteorological 
records of the past have, however, clearly shown that the amount of 
the annual rainfall is not a safe guide in this problem. Chinch bugs 
have occurred in excessive numbers during years of heavy 
precipitation. 
The term “ wet season,” so frequently used in this connection, is an 
indefinite one, but if the term “ season ” be restricted to the period of 
time intervening between the vernal and autumnal equinoxes we shall 
