223 



Fifth sta(7e.— Wing-pads large, projecting backward, tlieir tips attaining the hind 

 edge of the segment back of the one to which they are attached; anteniiie twenty- 

 six-joiuted; color and markings as in the third stage. Length, 38 "'"\ 



Fig. 'll.—Schistocerca amerieana, fifth .stage— natural size (original). 



At the next castiug of the skin, full wings appear. 

 Mr. Coquillett's report of the observations which he made from 

 August 27 to 31 follows: 



MR. coquillett's REPORT. 



The infested district. — The region in which this grasshopper {Schisto- 

 cerca americana Drury) occurred in destructive numbers, is situated in 

 Roanoke county, in the southwestern part of Virginia, at the base, or 

 rather among tlie foothills, of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The topog- 

 raphy of the country is very irregular, consisting of hills of greater or 

 less elevation, with intervening valleys. The soil is a rich, clayey 

 loam. 



The area in which they occurred in the greatest numbers contains 

 about four square miles. Within this area twenty-five acres of oats and 

 seventy-five acres of clover had been entirely ruined by them; two 

 fields of corn containing one hundred acres each had been almost 

 stripped of their leaves, and several other fields of less extent had been 

 treated in a similar manner. It was a curious but repeatedly demon- 

 strated fact that the grasshoppers manifested a decided preference for 

 the leaves of the older and nearly matured corn, while the younger 

 corn plants almost entirely escaped their ravages. In a few instances 

 the silk and husks at the ends of the ears of corn had been devoured, 

 and in rare instances they had fed upon the nearly riiiened kernelS'Of 

 corn. Where the husks had thus been eaten away, the ears were 

 exposed to the rains and fogs, and frequently molded from this cause. 



In this infested area various kinds of fruit trees had been almost com- 

 pletely defoliated by the grasshoppers, which had gnawed the bark 

 from the smaller twigs and also eaten large cavities in the apples still 

 hanging on the trees. It was very noticeable that the leaves at the 

 top of the trees had first been attacked, while those lowest down on the 

 trees were the last to be attacked. They showed an evident preference 

 for the leaves of apple and cherry trees, while those of pear trees 



