212 ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. — PIERS. 



prevalent in wet seasons, and causes death. Many locusts 

 are also attacked by a red mite, Trombidium locustarum, 

 which clings to the body, and which no doubt is the species 

 I have observed about Halifax infesting the underside of 

 the base of the hind wings of Melanoplus hivittatus and 

 M. femur-rubrum in August. Some species are also attacked 

 by a hair-worm, a species of Gordius. They have likewise 

 various insect enemies, as well as others among the reptiles, 

 batrachians, stoall mammals, and birds. Unfortunately in 

 Nova Scotia one of their least active enemies is their indirect 

 victim man, except in the case of household pests such 

 as the cockroaches. Among their friends we may possible 

 include those who, having no crops to be injured, love them 

 for their notable contribution to the sweet sounds of nature, 

 particularly during the hush of night. 



Injury caused by Orthoptera. — All of our Orthoptera are 

 more or less injurious, some species doing great damage to 

 agricultural crops and pasture-lands, particularly during a 

 succession of dry seasons when the insects thrive and multiply 

 rapidly, and the grass and other vegetation suffers directly 

 from the drought. While this damage is no doubt not so 

 great in Nova Scotia as in many parts of the United States, 

 still it is quite extensive enough to seriously affect the farmer 

 and more so than he has any idea of. Although, fortunately, 

 that arch-devastator, the migratory Rocky Mountain Locust 

 (Melanoplus spretus), does not range into eastern America, 

 yet it has in these parts a very able representative in the 

 closely related Lesser Migratory Locust (M. atlanis) which 

 has a great potentiality for doing harm, and which, during 

 some favourable seasons, is liable to produce much damage, 

 a very serious instance of which occurred over twenty years 

 ago on Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia, to which 

 fuller reference will be made when treating of the species. 

 Had this insect not abated its ravages there, the grass which 

 binds down the sand of which the island is composed, would 



