Vol. Ill, Xos. 11 and 12.] INSECT LIFE. [Issued August, 1891, 



SPECIAL NOTES. 



The Locust of Northwestern India. ^— Mr. E. C. Cotes haS faVOred US 

 with a copy of his final report upon the damage done by Acridium pere- 

 grinum in northwestern India. We have already reviewed (Insect Life, 

 vol. II, page 33'2) a preliminary circular sent out early in 1890. The 

 report before us definitely identifies the species as above, maps out the 

 chief permanent breeding ground, and gives a tolerably full account of 

 habits, recording the exact localities invaded by recent swarms. It 

 seems that although all the other migratory locusts are single brooded, 

 including even this same species in Algeria, in northwestern India egg- 

 laying goes on more than once in a year in the same locality. It has 

 been surmised that the eggs found in the autumn are only a second lot 

 laid by the insects which had already oviposited early in the year ; but, 

 although the evidence is scanty, it seems probable that there is a ten- 

 dency to two generations, as in our own species in southerly regions, 

 the autumn brood being the offspring of the young locusts born in the 

 spring, but perishing during the winter. The chief croi»s injured have 

 been cotton, indigo, til, bajra,jowar, wheat, gram, and grasses. The 

 locusts also destroy foliage of various trees, sirris, pepul, cliir, and the 

 various acacias having been noticed as suffering particularly. A great 

 deal has been done by trenches and by hand collecting, although cer- 

 tain of the hill tribes have refused, on religious accounts, to cooperate 

 in their destruction. In certain districts they were completely stamped 

 out by hand work. In one district alone over 1,000 maunds (the legal 

 maund is STf pounds avoirdupois) have been collected. Generally speak- 

 ing, the people have not made use of the locusts as food, but in Dharm- 

 sala the natives utilize them largely, while in certain of the states of 

 western Eajputana, where the Mussulman predominates, the poor col- 

 lect and boil the locusts in salt water, obtaining in this way a supply 



"The Locust of Northwestern India. Being a report upon an investigation con- 

 ducted in the Entomological Section of the Indian Museum, by order of the trustees. 

 With one plate. Governmeut of India. Central Printing Office. No. 725 R. A. 

 January 20, 1891. By E. C. Cotes. 



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