66 THE entomologist's record. 



great length the gGOgraphical distribution of Parhytijlu^ mii/ratorius, 

 ■which he seems to look upon as the chief, if not only migratory locust 

 of Europe, and includes in its permanent geographical distribution part 

 of Portugal (south of 40^ N. lat.), Spain, France to Lake Geneva, part 

 of Switzerland (to 48° N. lat.), the north of Italy, Carinthia, Hungary, 

 southern Rusian (to 50° N. lat.), southern Siberia, extending to north 

 China and Japan. Passing south, to New Zealand, a line from 

 Australia to ]\Iauritius, and another crossing Africa to Madeira, are 

 fixed as its southern limits, but this distribution must be thoroughly 

 understood to combine that of P. cincrciHceyxs and P. i)ii<iratorin^, which 

 Koppen considers as only forms of one species, a view with which most 

 entomologists would certainly disagree, the two species being undoubt- 

 edly distinct. 



As recently as 189o the Governor of the Gold Coast reported to the 

 Secretary of State for the Colonies that, on Thursday, February 23rd, 

 he " received a telegram from the Curator at Aburi, stating that the 

 entire staaon was covered by swarms of locusts (described as being 

 " brown in colour and about If in. in length), and that he feared they 

 would be very destructive to the plants in the garden." On the follow- 

 ing morning, at 10.45, the Colonial Secretary called his attention by 

 telephone to " a vast swarm of locusts that was approaching Accra in 

 the form of a semicircle from the north. They extended east and west 

 as far as the eye coiild see. The sky, in one direction, could only be 

 seen through the dark cloud of these insects. Their number was simply 

 beyond all calculation. They appeared to occupy a space about two 

 miles wide and from a quarter of a mile to a mile in height. They 

 gradually came round in a semicircular direction, curving from Accra 

 towards the Governor's lodge, going on to Labadi and keeping as close 

 to the sea as the grass extended on the sand. On a long plain between 

 the lagoon by Christiansborg Castle, extending towards Labadi, 

 about a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide, they descended 

 like a vast covering and consumed the grass on the plain." He 

 adds that he was "sorry to say that they took a fancy to the 

 cocoanut trees which he had planted some years ago in the land 

 attached to the castle, and literally stripped the leaves that hung 

 above the bunches of fruit, the midribs only remaining. During 

 this time there was not a breath of wind, the sun was shining brightly, 

 the heat was intense, and the locusts for a while had their own way. 

 At one time the roofs of the Secretariat and of the huts at Victoria- 

 borg, which can always be seen distinctly from the castle, which is a 

 mile and a quarter distant, were completely hidden from view by the vast- 

 ness of the number of locusts." On their first approach to Government 

 House he had the Avindows and doors closed to prevent their ingress into 

 the apartments, and when they got so close to the verandah that he could 

 nearly touch them he shouted and struck a stick against some of the iron 

 pillars, upon which he noticed that the locusts appearing to dislike the 

 noise, wheeled away. He then had " some blank cartridges fired at them, 

 and the bell which is used on Sunday for church purposes rung. The 

 noise apparently, alarmed the locusts, for they left the castle and con- 

 tented themselves with ravaging the cocoanut trees to the north of it. 

 The market women at Accra were much alarmed at the fearful sight of 

 these insects, and went abroad in large numbers shouting and crying 

 out that war and famine would follow, and urging their Fetish priests to 



