676 REPORT UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



before we can decide what is true and what is erroneous in the published 

 accounts of the western locust. 

 The following points need to be especially studied and cleared up: 



1. How early in the summer are the eggs laid in Minnesota? 



2. The direction of flight and history of the newly-fledged swarms in 

 Minnesota particularly, as well as in Texas and Indian Territory. 



3. Is the supposed northwesterly return-flight of the locust from 

 Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri late in Juneau invariable occurrence, 

 or do the swarms fly in other directions? 



4. What is the fate of those eacly summer swarms; and (o) do they 

 lay eggs in the region directly east of the Eocky Mountains, or (b) fly 

 north into British America, or are they scattered on the plains midway 

 between the border States and the Kocky Mountain plateau, and lay 

 eggs for swarms which afflict the border States the following year ; or 

 (c) do they fail to reach favorable breeding- places and lay but few eggs ? 



5. The exceptions to the northwest direction of the migrations from 

 the border States should be fully stated, and if there be such exceptions, 

 the causes, local or meteorological, carefully inquired into. 



6. Ascertain in Minnesota the length of time between the acquisition 

 of wings and oviposition. 



7. Make experiments on the vitality of the eggs. The eggs of the 

 Europeo-Asiatic locust survive a temperature of — 26^ Fahr. 



8. Do cold, wet springs and thawing and freezing late in the winter 

 destroy the eggs ? 



9. Do the locusts always copulate immediately after acquiring wings? 



10. Duration of the sexual act — (more than 20 minutes?) 



11. How many times does the same female receive the male? 



12. How many males will a single female receive? 



13. How many females will a single male impregnate? 



14. How many times does the same female lay eggs? 



15. Does a female lay more than one packet of eggs ? 



16. Does a female lay more than one packet of eggs after a single 

 impregnation? 



17. State the average number of eggs laid in a packet. 



18. State the number of days after copulation before the eggs are 

 laid — (more or less than seven days ?) 



19. Does Caloptenus spretus copulate with other, and what, species ; 

 does it hybridize with other species, particularly /(smwr-rM&rww, or var. 

 atlanis? Are the hybrids (if any are produced) fertile? 



20. State observed (not estimated) rapidity of movement of swarms 

 in the larval state, and whether they migrate in the morning or evening, 

 or both? 



21. After which molt do the young locusts begin to assemble in small 

 flocks and mass with larger ones — after the first or second molt? 



22. Do the young wingless locusts move and feed by night? 



23. Do the swarms of winged locusts descend toward sunset, and at 

 what time ? At what time do they take wing in the morning ? 



24. Make careful observations as to the influence of the wind on their 

 migrations. Are they wholly dependent on favorable winds to bear 

 them on in the course they usually take, and do the locusts wait for 

 favorable winds ? 



25. Ascertain western limits of Calej^tenus spreUis, and the range of 

 its var. atlanis. 



