260 OUR INSECT FRIENDS AND FOES 



cloth, are mounted on stakes driven into the 

 ground. At intervals of a few yards in front 

 of these screens, and directly in the path of the 

 advancing Locusts, deep pits are dug, and edged 

 and lined to a depth of a few inches with polished 

 zinc. Now the advancing hosts of Locusts are 

 unable to climb to the top of the screens owing 

 to the slippery surface of the band, and fall back 

 into the pits ; from these pits they are unable to 

 escape, partly on account of the smooth edging 

 of zinc, and partly on account of the weight of 

 the thousands of fresh arrivals that continue to 

 fall from the screens on top of them. So 

 successful has this method, which owes its 

 origin to Mr. Mattie's careful observations of the 

 habits of these insects, proved, that in five years 

 from its inception the Locusts in Cyprus 

 were practically exterminated, and at the very 

 moderate cost of about two shillings per million 

 insects. 



Although most people are thoroughly familiar 

 with the appearance of that somewhat grotesque 

 looking insect the Daddy-longlegs, or Crane-fly 

 (Tipula oleracca), the ravages which this insect 

 causes during the larval stage of its life on 

 grass-lands is probably unknown to most town 

 dwellers; save perhaps in seasons like 1884, 

 when Lord's cricket ground was seriously 

 injured by these insects. In the years 1813, 

 1842, and 1894, hundreds of acres of grass-land 

 were destroyed by the larvae of Daddy-longlegs, 

 so that the shepherds in many important grazing 

 districts knew not where to find sufficient feed 

 for their flocks of sheep. Unfortunately these 



