61 



In 1002, ;iii(l ill far i^^-ratcr iiuiiilxMs in 1903, tlio insects appeared on 

 llic soiilli sl()[)«' of Hatl^ci- Mountain. This land lias been scttlcMl only 

 witiiin tlic last live years. The outl)reak durinj^ I'jo;} was so serious 

 thai llic couiily aulhorities appropriated funds to combat the insect, 

 which in its niaivh reached within a few miles of Waterville, the 

 oldest wheat -i^rowinj,'' re,uion in the county, and where the insect wjis 

 never before known. It was found much cheaper to stop the insect 

 by fences made of 1 by 12 smooth boards placed on edf2:e than l)y 

 ditches, and after these were built the proj^ress of the insect was 

 stopped, but not before several thousand acres of wheat were 

 destroyed. Those of the insects not destroyed oviposited in the soil 

 near the barrier fence. No evidence whatever was seen of any return 

 miirration to other breeding: urouuds. 



It is evident that the control of this locustid offers no dillicull prob- 

 lem, and it is possible practically to exterminate it by no other means 

 than fencing: or ditchini;. 



Attempts were made in \'M)'2 and iigain in Ll>()3 to inoculate it with 

 the South African Mucor, but all the attempts proved fruitless. If a 

 disease could be found, the chances of its spreadini; are i)articularly 

 favorable, owin.n' both to the insects' habit of c(nigregatini; in i^reat 

 numbers at night in tlie shelter of i>lants and low bushes and from 

 the further fact that they are cannilialistic. 



The distribution of this insect is remarkable. It was described by 

 Thomas from specimens collected in 1872 in the mountains of south- 

 western Montana at an altitude of !),000 feet. Xo other collections 

 have been made since except these recent ones in Douglas County. 

 In Washington it seems to be normally an Upper Sonoran insect, only 

 occasionally invading tlie transition zone. The Montana types are 

 from the boreal zone, and as they are well preserved there can be 7io 

 »iuestion as to the identity of the Douglas County insect, which 

 matclies the types exactly. 



Scudder's monotypic genus Peranaluus is roundrd mi Tlioinas's 

 Tli<iinii>>lrii<in scdhrlfollis ami dill'ei's from Aiialirus only in its rough- 

 ened pronot uiii. 



In answer to a <iuestion asked by .Mr. l''elt as to whether this spe- 

 cies devast('(l the country as they marched along. .Mr. !Mi)er replied 

 that they l'e<l upon the grass, and were also cariiixorctus to some 

 extent. 



Mr. l-"letcher asked if it were not possible that these large crickets 

 were larg<'ly carnivoious; he had eviscerated a large number of 

 Anfihnis i>iirpiiriisti IIS when preserving them, and had never lonml 

 any vegetabh- matter in their stomaclis. He also ivmarked that the 

 latter species was almmlant in .Manitoba. 



