281 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Voi. VIT1. 
also were collected in great numbers, the usual plan being to make each house 
in a village furnish daily a “ tind” or well-pot full of eggs. 
In Sialkot bands of villagers were organised to kill the young locusts. The 
methods adopted were, driving them into trenches and burying them, and 
surrounding them with a circle of men armed with branches, who gradually 
drove them into straw which was then burnt. 
An interesting account is given by Colonel Lance, the Officer Commanding 
at Ferozepur, of the methods adopted in fighting the young locusts which in- 
vaded that cantonment in May, 1891. Both British and native troops were 
employed in the work, and Colonel Lance writes :— 
‘“‘ Hach corps and detachment was given certain limits within which it was to work and to 
do its best to destroy any swarms that came within them; corps, however, were employed 
at other places that were heavily threatened, as required. 
“ With the exception of one heavy swarm that came on the 17th Bengal Cavalry lines, the 
swarms came on the south-west corner of the station, and on the south-east and north-east 
as far as the cemetery, near the Sudder Bazar. Inthe Commissariat Transport lines they 
were in countless numbers, and for days it seemed as if they would succeed in getting into 
the station from that direction. 
“The method principally adopted to destroy the locusts was by burning them with 
dry grass. When swarming in trees or bushes this seems to be the only effective method. 
When in open ground it is easy to drive them to lines or clumps of dry grass in which they 
swarm, and which is lighted when the whole swarm has collected. The objection to this 
method, however, is the enormous expenditure of grass, even when used economically 
as was done when the men became experienced in the work. Large quantities of grass were 
bought, but the Executive Engineer placed at my disposal a large quantity of old thatch 
without which it would have been impossible to have,provided the quantity of grass required. 
Kerosine was tried with the grass. It was used chiefly to burn the locusts out of trees 
and bushes, but it was found after trial that in most cases the grass was nearly as effective 
without kerosine, a great deal of which was required to produce any result, 
“Tt was found that grass could be much economised by digging a small trench about 
a foot deep and a foot wide, filling the bottom with a little grass and laying the same lightly 
on the earth thrown upon the side opposite to that towards which the locusts were being 
driven. A little more grass sprinkled round the trench after the swarm had been driven 
into it, and set fire to, effectively secured the destruction of the swarm with but little 
expenditure of grass. 
“Pits were also dug into which the locusts were driven and then buried. This plan 
is said to answer well when the insects are small, but when, as in the present case, they 
are large and active, it is found that they could not be kept in the pits unless they were 
dug very deep, and even then many succeeded in getting away. 
“Thad the opportunity of trying the method said to have been used with great success 
in Cyprus. Low canvas screens were made from condemned tents supplied from the arsenal ; 
and strips of American cloth, over which the locusts cannot crawl, were sewn to their upper 
edge. In front of these screens, which were set up in the path of the locusts, pits were dug, 
round which an edging of tin was placed, up which the locusts could not crawl. Driven 
against these screens the locusts either hopped into the pit themselves or were driven 
in by men, who eventually surrounded them. 'The advantages of this plan are the extent 
of ground that is covered, the comparatively few men that are required, and the completeness 
