JJo- 1- ] Miacellaneous Noten. 41 



Larley, besins, and cb^ver, scarcely any e<:gs were to be found ; the ground at the time 

 being too hard and dry to be pierced by the ovipositors of the hicusts. '1 his restriction 

 of tbo infected area was of the greatest possible advantage. The cotton fields were 

 comparatively empty ; the young cotton plants gave little cover to the locusts, ynd 

 caused little or no obstruction to the operations, isesides tliis, the proprietor of a 

 cotton field at once reported the presence of locusts, since immediate action could alone 

 save his cr()p. 



" The most simple methods of destruction were found to he the most efifectual, such 

 as making long dry trenches 30 to 40 centimetres deep and 25 to 30 wide near to the 

 young broods. Into these trendies the locusts were driven by bands of men and child- 

 1 en. often numbering several hundreds, each armed with a palm branch. The men 

 wiiose duty it was to dig the trenches then lined themselves along the further side of 

 the trench, upon which the earth was thrown to prevent any locusts from escaping. 

 When the locusts were driven into the ditch, the loose earth was at once pulled in by the 

 band of people who had driven them, and trampled down firmly, so that none escaped. 

 These methods proved very successful for the first three weeks, while the locusts were 

 comparatively small, and before they had power to jump out of the ditches. At this 

 stage, therefore, the ditch system became less useful, the locusts being now too wary 

 to be driven easily into the trenches ; and the consequent necessitated deepening of 

 the trenches materially increased tlie cost of operations. It was found that when 

 locusts were disturbed on open ground, such as a cotton field, they would go easily into 

 any cover that was within reach, and remain there. Advantage was taken of this, and 

 whatever available dry material there was in the neighbourhood was taken and spread 

 in patches of several metres in diameter, or in long wide strips. The locusts were 

 then driven into this ambush and surrounded by tlie neople, who sim.ultaneously fired 

 the patch all round, resulting in the complete destruction of the locusts. Tiie dry 

 stalks of maize were plentiful in the country, and made excellent fuel for this purpose. 

 These were the two eifectual means by which the locusts were destroyed in Egypt 

 witliin the space of six weeks. Few of the young ones ever got their permanent wings, 

 and these few were speedily picked up by birds, the common crow positively feasting 

 on them. 



"Other means were tried, such as flooding the fields where eggs had been found, 

 but this only retarded the hatching for a few days and destroyed the crops. The lo- 

 cust has considerable swimming powers, and will cross a wide canal if pushed to it. 

 The fellah was very disposed to beat the locusts with liis palm branch, instead of driv- 

 ing them forward to the ditch, wliich often resulted in the greater part of the swarm 

 turning and escaping behind the line of beaters. The screen and trap system of 

 Cyprus was tried with considerable care on the Tewfikien canal, the traps in this trial 

 being lined with bricks. I rode over the ground a week later and found few locusts in 

 those pits, many of which were empty ; while quantities of locusts had been destroyed 

 by the methods I have described. Short screens erected immediately in front of lo- 

 custs are of no practical use, as the locusts are diflflcult to drive on to them, and the 

 erecting of the screens has a tendency to frighten the locusts and to cause them to 

 change their line of march. This system is only useful where locusts are known to 

 exist on waste lands, and several miles of screens are erected along the ed<,^e of the 

 cultivated lands, and thus arrest the natural march of the locusts. If they are to be 

 attacked while they are yet small, and on their own breeding ground, as they must be, 

 in Egypt, this system is too cumbrous for practical working purposes ; and the money 

 that would provide the screens is better spent in paying the people for destroying the 

 locusts, and with methods involving no initial outlay whatever. 



" Anolhei trap and screen system, invented by .Mr. Van I.ennup, was tried en the 



