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  134 
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  in 
  the 
  lesser 
  mountains 
  and 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country; 
  

   while 
  the 
  present 
  species 
  prefers 
  relatively 
  low 
  and 
  level 
  territory, 
  being 
  

   also 
  most 
  at 
  home 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  The 
  destruc- 
  

   tive 
  spretus 
  never 
  reaches 
  Illinois; 
  the 
  long-winged 
  atlanis 
  is 
  common 
  

   in 
  the 
  hilly 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  end 
  of 
  this 
  state; 
  while 
  the 
  shorter- 
  

   winged, 
  red-legged 
  species 
  is 
  abundant 
  everywhere. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  tend 
  to 
  

   migrate 
  in 
  large 
  swarms 
  like 
  both 
  the 
  others, 
  although 
  when 
  very 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  locally, 
  flights 
  to 
  short 
  distances 
  are 
  sometimes 
  made 
  in 
  numbers 
  

   to 
  suggest 
  the 
  flying 
  swarms 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  locust. 
  A 
  single 
  female 
  red- 
  

   legged 
  grasshopper 
  may 
  lay 
  approximately 
  one 
  hundred 
  eggs 
  in 
  three 
  or 
  

   four 
  separate 
  masses, 
  deposited 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  usually 
  in 
  grass-lands 
  and 
  

   in 
  the 
  firmer 
  parts 
  of 
  fields, 
  such 
  as 
  paths 
  and 
  roadways 
  and 
  trampled 
  

   spots 
  in 
  pastures. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  single-brooded. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  in 
  May, 
  

   and 
  the 
  young 
  feed 
  and 
  grow 
  through 
  June 
  and 
  July, 
  getting 
  wings 
  about 
  

   seventy 
  days 
  after 
  hatching. 
  Occasional 
  adults 
  may 
  appear 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  

   the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  June, 
  but 
  the 
  great 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  generation 
  matures 
  in 
  

   August, 
  and 
  from 
  this 
  time 
  on 
  the 
  perfect 
  insects 
  are 
  most 
  abundant. 
  

   They 
  continue 
  their 
  depredations 
  until 
  arrested 
  by 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  winter. 
  

  

  Melanoplus 
  atlanis 
  Riley. 
  

  

  This 
  species, 
  inhabits 
  especially 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States, 
  and 
  seems 
  to 
  

   prefer 
  hilly 
  and 
  wooded 
  country. 
  It 
  is 
  much 
  like 
  the 
  western 
  destruc- 
  

   tive 
  grasshopper 
  in 
  structure 
  and 
  habits, 
  and 
  in 
  its 
  tendency 
  to 
  migrate 
  

   when 
  very 
  numerous. 
  It 
  is 
  at 
  times 
  very 
  destructive, 
  especially 
  in 
  New 
  

   England. 
  It 
  is 
  common 
  in 
  the 
  hilly 
  region 
  of 
  southern 
  Illinois, 
  and 
  is 
  

   taken 
  at 
  times 
  in 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  state. 
  It 
  lays 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  egg 
  

   masses 
  and 
  its 
  period 
  of 
  development 
  is 
  about 
  eighty 
  days. 
  The 
  adults 
  

  

  are 
  nearly 
  a 
  month 
  earlier 
  

   in 
  their 
  appearance 
  than 
  

   those 
  of 
  the 
  red-legged 
  

   species, 
  being 
  common- 
  

   est 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August. 
  

  

  The 
  Rocky 
  Mountain 
  

   Grasshopper, 
  

  

  Melanoplus 
  spretus 
  Thos. 
  

  

  This, 
  the 
  most 
  de- 
  

   structive 
  American 
  spe- 
  

   cies, 
  is 
  so 
  thoroughly 
  well 
  

   known 
  throughout 
  the 
  re- 
  

   gion 
  infested 
  by 
  it 
  that 
  its 
  

   special 
  treatment 
  here 
  is 
  

   uncalled 
  for, 
  particularly 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  occur 
  in 
  Illinois.. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  56. 
  The 
  Rocky 
  Mountain 
  Grasshopper, 
  Melanoplus 
  

   spretus: 
  a, 
  a, 
  a, 
  females 
  ovipositing; 
  b, 
  egg 
  pod 
  removed 
  from 
  

   ground, 
  with 
  end 
  broken 
  open, 
  showing 
  eggs; 
  c, 
  eggs; 
  d, 
  e, 
  egg 
  

   masses 
  in 
  the 
  ground;/", 
  egg 
  mass 
  completed 
  and 
  covered 
  up. 
  

  

  