jo8 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



of this particular species. The eggs must be dry or at least not 

 water covered for at least twenty-four hours after they are laid ; 

 otherwise they will not hatch. On the other hand, these eggs 

 may remain dry for three months or longer, without losing vital- 

 ity, and if at any time after the}^ have been dry for over a week 

 or two they become covered with water, hatching is rather a mat- 

 ter of minutes rather than of hours. I have seen a low meadow 

 covered with an inch of water from a heavy storm, and have 

 found this water swarming with wrigglers a few hours after- 

 ward. After two days of sunshine the water had disappeared 

 jnd with it the millions of larvse. Slow drainag-e is a positive 

 advantage in danger areas for it will induce the eggs to hatch on 

 a high tide or heavy storm and will destroy the resulting brood. 

 This is an advantage because it absolutely eliminates just that 

 many possible adults and will come nearer to actual extermina- 

 tion in the long run than any other possible method. Mr. Vie- 

 reck's experiments also pro^•e. what I suspected as the result of 

 my own observations ; that a certain percentage of the eggs laid 

 did not hatch when first covered with water. This is a provision 

 of nature for the continuance of the species ; that in case of a 

 covering too slight to bring the l^rood to maturity, there should 

 be a remnant lying over until a later period, ready to hatch at 

 the second or third covering, or until the spring* following. In 

 other words, the evidence tends to show that out of say 200 eggs 

 laid by an individual. 100 would hatch the first time they were 

 covered with water provided the eggs had been uncovered for at 

 least twenty-four hours. Of the remainder, fifty would probably 

 hatch at the second covering and of the balance, ten would lie 

 over until the season following, while the others would hatch if 

 covered during the season. Assuming however that, of the 200 

 egg-s from an individual of the first brood, none were covered by 

 water during the summer for a long enough time to produce the 

 larva, the indications are that at least fifty per cent, would lie 

 over safely until the season following, ready to take advantage of 

 spring conditions. Slow drainage then, that will permit the 

 marshes to be covered for a few hours on extra tides or in heavy 

 storms, is better than a drainage that is more rapid in summer, 

 but apt to be slow enough in spring to mature a brood. Perfect 

 drainage, sufficient for all seasons, is the ideal to be aimed at; 

 but that is sometimes much more expensive than the-^low process, 

 which will answer ever)^ practical purpose. 



As for the points selected for oviposition by the females, that 

 includes practically every damp place on the salt marsh and the 

 countr}^ immediately adjacent thereto. For example a cornfield 

 noted by Mr. Viereck came down to a corner edging on the 



