﻿OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 119 



The advanced development of the locust embryo in the eggs sent by Mr. Shane, 

 argues nothing but very early hatching as soon as Spring opens. Their vitality is 

 snninipaired, as Mr. Shane may soon prove by bringing them into a warm room. I have 

 had such forward eggs hatch the present Winter after various periods of freezing. 



Enclosed, please find eggs of Eocky Mountain Locust. They w^ere taken on my 



farm, on southeast quarter of section 19, township 2S, range 27, county of Lawrence, 

 and State of Missouri. 



February 2, 1877. W. R. GOODMAN. 



Fully ten per cent, of the eggs are dead and more or less decomposed. As in other 

 instances from Missouri, a number of the masses, as also the eggs, are far below the 

 average size, and, compared with those received from the farther West and South, are 

 evidently lacking in vitality. They were doubtless the last eggs laid, just before Win- 

 ter, and when the insects were nearly exhausted. 



1, like many others, desiring some information regarding our coming crop of 

 Grasshoppers, wish to ask a few questions on the subject. Irt examining the eggs late 

 last Fail, I found many formed so one could see the eggs and form, and upon recently 

 examining them, I find they are in the same condition as three months ago. Now, will 

 those thus formed pass through the winter and hatch in the Spring, or will they be 

 destroyed? Other eggs are in the same state, for all 1 can see, as when deposited. Now, 

 is it likely the whole crop will mature in the Spring? Please inform me regarding it. 

 Any information you can give on the subject will be thankfully received by myself and 

 many others, who feel afraid of the results of the coming Spriiig.with the great amount 

 of eggs deposited. 



Plymouth, Nebr., Jan. 21, 1S77. J. E. EOE. 



There is no doubt but that the eggs will mature under ordinary Spring conditions. 

 The fact of some of them being so miich more advanced than others, will not, in the 

 least, interfere with their hatching. 



I send you this day a box of locust eggs packed in earth. Please tell us whether 

 they will hatch ? 



Wichita, Kans., Feb. 2, 1877. A. B. ARMENT. 



The eggs were all sound and yet in the fluid state. 



Eggs received and examined almost every day during February 

 and up to March 10th, were, like those examined earlier in the season, 

 in the main sound. A certain iDroportion of the young hatched during 

 the mild Fall weather we had in October, while the unusually warm 

 weather that occurred the last ten days of January and forepart of 

 February caused still larger numbers to hatch, not alone in the south- 

 ern portion of the territory occupied, but even as far north as Dakota. 

 The young that thus prematurely hatched perished by subsequent 

 frosts, for I have proved that while the eggs are unaffected by intense 

 freezing, the young insects are killed at 15° F. As the Winter was in 

 some respects remarkable, as well for the warm weather which thus 

 caused the eggs to hatch, as for the many and sudden changes of tempe- 

 rature; and as the eggs have not been injured thereby to any appre- 

 ciable extent up to the date of this writing, I Will place upon record, 

 in this connection, the thermometrical observations made at St. Louis 

 [from November 15, 1876, to March 10, 1877 : 



