42 Indian jMuseum Nolrs. [ Ygj. I[J, 



Nnbarieli canal. Tliin iron sheets took the place of canvas, and if ifc were not for the 

 greater initial cost and heavier weight, this system is much superior to the Cyprus plan. 

 " Locusts may also be gathered by tlie liand for two liours in tlie earl3' movnino" 

 and for an hour after sunset. Tliis semi-dormant condition miglit in future be taicen 

 greater advantage of, by gathering many of them before tliey deposit tlieir egcrs. 

 Government did offer two piastres per olce for locusts, but the people did not seem to 

 realise that they would be paid until most of tbe eg^s were deposited. Two piastres 

 an oke is a sufficient price to pa}' ; and in future it would be well for the Moodeers to 

 order out the people at once, whether they wish to come or not, and pav them for the 

 quantity of locusts gathered at the end of the day. A few days delay mav be fatal lo 

 the success of this method. The colUcting of eggs v/as a failure. Two piastres per 

 oke was likewise offered for eggs, but the impossibility of ijatherino- them was soon 

 apparent ; the ecrgs were imbedded in the ground, and the digging of them np had the 

 effect only of distributing them with the soil, which, moreover, in nowise affected 

 their fertility. Only the eggs that were exposed on the surface «if the soil were 

 destroyed by the sun scorchino^ them up. I experimented with locusts' eg<:s as to the 

 depth at which the young locust could come up through the soil if the effy-s were buried 

 without the exit hole naturally left by tbe female locust. I found that at a depth of 

 ten centimetres, all found their way to the surface ; at twelve centimetres, about half 

 came up ; at fifteen centimetres, none of them came through. 



'• If tbe land was unoccupied, as it generally was not, pl<m<:hing wouJd have the 

 effect of destroying some of the eggs, either by burying or by exposing them on the 

 surface. No stitisfactory means was found of destroying the eggs, 



*' Small passing fliijhts of locusts are frequently heard of in some parts of Egvpt 

 but give no great cause for alarm ; they have lately been reported at Suakim and at 

 Wady Haifa. 



" Forty years ago the locusts stayed and bred in the country in great numbers, and 

 were exterminated by the people in much the same manner as this year. In the 

 present year, practically no damaire was done to the crops. Where the leaves were 

 eaten off the young cotton plants, they sprouted a<iain almost immediately, and became 

 bigger trees than they would have been, but bearing a smaller amount of cotton." 



(iii) The Consular report for tbe year 1891)^ on the agiicuKure of 

 Algeria, by Consul General Playfair, published as No. 854 of Her 

 Majesty's Foreign Office in Loirioii ; also a letter, dated 30th October 

 1891, by Mr. PLiyfair, forv^arded throuirh the Government of India; and 

 an account which appeared in the Ihnly Telegraph. 



In the middle of December 1890 flights of Acndium peregrinum 

 from the south-west were noticed in several cases in the extreme south 

 of Algeria. On 19th March 1891 again Mr. Playfair wrote — "The 

 crickets are appearing in various parts of the colony, but especially in 

 the department of Oran,and the Prefects are busy organising means of 

 defence. The Governor- General has made an urgent appeal for a sup- 

 plementary credit of 50(1,000 franc-* for each department. The admin- 

 istration seems to be doing all that is humanly possible, but so widespread 

 is the evil that it is doubtful whether tliey will he able to cope with it." 

 On 30th October 1891, however, Mr. Playfair wrote that the result of the 

 campaign waged against the locusts had been sosucessful that btit little 

 injury had been done to the crops. 



