﻿OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 123 



Secondly — They are far more thoroughly posted as to the pros- 

 pects and better organized to fight the enemy. Correct information 

 has been very widely circulated through the media of special reports 

 and of the agricultural press. The bounty laws enacted during the 

 winter will incite to action and will have a beneficial effect. The 

 people are anticipating and preparing where two years ago they were 

 comparatively indifferent. They are profiting by the experience of 

 1874-5. This is more particularly the case in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa 

 and Minnesota, and I regret to say less so in Missouri ; for in some of 

 our counties which are threatened, there is no organization and little 

 preparation to meet the enemy. 



Thirdly — I could not help noticing, and the same thing was 

 remarked by many others, that quite a number of the insects observed 

 last Fall, were much beneath the average size and generally darker 

 than the typical specimens. Also a certain proportion of the eggs 

 that I have received during the Winter, were far below the average 

 size and much more predisposed to rot than the rest. I am strongly 

 of the opinion that such specimens belonged to the swarms which 

 developed in Minnesota and thereabouts, and which, after being 

 repulsed in their efforts to get N. W., joined and formed part of the 

 larger swarms which came from the farther N. W. The insects that 

 hatched in Minnesota were in many instances the 3d and 4th genera- 

 tion bred there, and their degeneracy was very generally observed. 

 Thus, expressions to the effect that the locusts there last Summer, were 

 "used up," "tired out," etc., were common among farmers, and Mr. 

 Whitman notes (Special Report for 1876, p. 12) the gradual decrease 

 in th3 extent of the breeding grounds from year to year. More eggs 

 have also rotted and the parasites have been more numerous there 

 than elsewhere ; while the injury has not compared to what it was in 

 our State in 1875. The greater longevity of many of the insects of 

 1876 as compared with those of 1874, would also indicate that they 

 were bred south of the region where the species is permanent and 

 comes to greatest perfection. We may therefore expect that, as com- 

 pared with 1875, a larger proportion of the young that will hatch in 

 1877, will be weakly and soon perish ; for I know from my breeding 

 experiments that there is great difference in constitutional vigor 

 between them. 



Fourthly — There is a bare possibility that, after the bulk of the 

 young have hatched, and before they have commenced to do serious 

 harm, we may have such unseasonably cold and wet weather as to kill 

 them by myriads, and effectually weaken their power for injury. 



Fifthly — Let the destruction be as complete as it well can, and 



