306 ORTHOPTERA OF NOVA SCOTIA. PIERS. 



appearance and movements have a lack of elegance which 

 makes it less attractive than many of our locusts, although 

 it is decisively and somewhat handsomely bedecked with 

 colours. 



It hatches in the latter part of June, as I have 

 collected the green-coloured nymphs, about 9 mm. long, in 

 the second stage, before the appearance of the wing-pads, 

 on 1st July, 1917, in grass at the head of the North West 

 Arm, Halifax, and others 14 mm. long, in about the fourth 

 stage with wing-pads 2 mm. long, at the same place on 8th 

 July. Adults are noted from about the latter part of July 

 (22 July, Truro; 1 Aug. '17, Hubbards, Hx. Co.) until toward 

 the end of October (20 Oct. '95; 26 Oct. '97, 27 Oct. '17, 

 Halifax). The first hard frosts which begin to occur about 

 the 16 Oct. soon put an end to any but lingering stragglers, 

 although an occasional individual may possibly considerably 

 prolong its existence by getting into some warm crevice 

 about a barn to reappear under the influence of a warm 

 day. It seems to be a silent species. 



No doubt this locust does very considerable damage 

 in the aggregate in Nova Scotia, more particularly to ha}'-- 

 crops; but so far it does not seem to have called loudlj- for 

 repression. Next, however, to M. femur-riibrum and AI . 

 atlams, and the Crickets, it is one of the most destructive 

 species of Orthoptera we have as far as grass, grain, and 

 other cultivated crops are concerned; and with them it deserves 

 watching. After a series of favourable dry seasons, which 

 have permitted it, as well as other species, to increase rapidly, 

 it becomes most numerous and occasions much loss; but 

 then^there usually follows a period when it dwindles much 

 in numbers from natural causes; so that it is only occasionally 

 the farmer views it with much concern. It is said to be 

 subject to the attack of a fungi in wet seasons, as well as other 

 parasites, besides various vertebrate enemies. In the middle 

 of August, 1895, and on other occasions. I iuive collected 



