29 G EEPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, 



On several succeeding: days I saw many females of this species deposit 

 their eggs, and in nearly every instance the situation chosen for this 

 puri)ose was the edge of one of the basin-like hollows at the base of a 

 tree. 



I saw several of the females make numerous attempts to sink their 

 abdomens into the earth upon a hard beaten walk, but always without 

 meeting with success. Thej' do not appear to have the power to pene- 

 trate iKird substances that is possessed by some locusts. Upon one oc 

 casion I saw a female Chloealtis conspersa (Harris), that had excavated 

 a hole in the bark of a burr-oak log by means of the horny plates at the 

 tip of her abdomen ; when found by me she had reached a depth equal to 

 about one-half the length of her abdomen. This occurred in Northern 

 Illinois. 



The Differential Locust is not so easily startled as the Devastating 

 Locust is, and its flight is heavier and sustained for only a short distance, 

 seldom flying more than 12 or 14 feet at a time. It does not perform 

 those migrations indulged in by the Devastating and Ash-colored Lo- 

 custs, seldom taking to its wings except when disturbed. 



It was i)rincipally found in trees, being especiallj^ partial to the leaves 

 of poplar trees. I did not And it in the grain fields, and it occurred 

 only in limited numbers in the low, waste places, overgrown with weeds. 

 It was very numerous in alfalfa fields, where it probably breeds, as young 

 ones of all sizes were very numerous in these fields. 



THE YELLOW LOCUST. 



The only species of Spineless-breasted Locusts {(EfUpodince) that ap- 

 peared in destructive numbers in the San Joaquin Valley the present 

 season was the Yellow Locust {Trimerotropia pucudofasciata Scudder), 

 which was only about one-twentieth as abundant as the Devastating 

 Locust. When I first came to the valley early in June, this species was 

 most numerous in grain fields, but after these had been harvested it 

 migrated to new pastures. In many places it was very destructive to 

 the leaves of grape-vines and low trees, but it was very seldom found 

 in large trees. 



The flight of the Yellow Locust is more undulating than that of the 

 Devastating Locust, and is sometimes continued for long distances' at a 

 time. They do not always fly in one direction, against the wind, as the 

 last-named species almost invariably does, but fly in almost over^^ direc- 

 tion. They do not all start at once, but one will start up here, another 

 there, and so on, each apparently going entirely independent of the 

 others. 



Their flight is sometimes accompanied by a crackling sound, but they 

 appear to produce this sound at their pleasure while on the wing. Sev- 

 eral other species of Spineless-breasted Locusts ((EdipodincB) can also 

 produce this sound while on the wing, but I am not acquainted with a 

 single species of Spine-breasted Locust (Acridincc) that ever produces a 

 similar sound. 



The Yellow Locusts arc more frequently found resting upon the bare 

 ground than in any other situation, but during the hottest part of the 

 diiy they seek the shade of low weeds, grape-vines, small trees, &c., 

 which they usually ascend, but never, or very seldom, go very high. I 

 have frequently seen them feed uiwn dry leaves, and they seem to pro- 

 fei- feeding upon these on the ground to climbing after the green ones. 



I have also seen them feed upon a locust that had but recently died; 

 they would usually begin upon the side of the thorax next to the head, 



