No. 4.] Notes on Insect pests from the Entomological Section. 220 



VII.— REPORTS OF RESULTS OF REMEDIES, etc., TRIED DURING 



THE YEAR 1897, 



I. Utilizing Firearms as a means of driving away locusts. 



The following is a report (dated i6th November 1897), received 

 from Mr, R. P. Lambert, District Superintendent of Police, Panch 

 Mahals, through the Survey Commissioner and Director, Land 

 Records and Agriculture, Bombay, giving an instance of a very 

 simple and successful method, adopted by the Police in Panch 

 Mahals, in order to frighten away locusts from the fields. The 

 apparently complete success of a means so handy ought to be more 

 widely known : — 



" About 10-15 A.M. on Friday, the 5th instant, after my return to Bungalow 

 from duty with the Inspector General of Police in the town, information was 

 given to me that enormous flights of locusts were devastating the country round 

 about Godhra. I immediately rode to the fields where the locusts were settling. 



"2. A Bora came up to me in a half frantic state and begged that the Armed 

 Police with their guns and blank ammunition might be employed to get rid of 

 these pests. The idea appeared to me both novel and sensible, and I at once 

 galloped to the Bungalow (where the Inspector General of Police was staying 

 during his visit in Godhra) and asked Mr. Kennedy to allow me to use the 

 Government blank ammunition for the purpose, suggested by the Bora. 

 Mr. Kennedy most kindly and readily gave the required permission and a sowar 

 was at once sent to the head-quarters ordering every available man to be present 

 at the scene of action. 



"3. It speaks greatly to the credit of the head-quarter Chief Constable that 

 from 60 to 70 Armed Policemen each supplied with 10 rounds of blank ammuni- 

 tion, joined me within 15 minutes after the alarm bugle had gone, I also 

 collected all my servants and orderlies, who together with 40 or 50 ryots made 

 up a total of 150 persons in all. I then had a long line formed extending some- 

 times to 3 or 4 hundred yards, and where locusts were seen to be most thick, 

 there our mimic skirmishing line was taken. I also sent into the town for aid, 

 but was not disappointed when it did not arrive, as it is perhaps too much to 

 expect that either the Ghauchis or Boras would assist Government officers 

 in protecting other people's property. 



"4. Mr. Wallington arrived a few minutes after the commencement of our 

 organized attack on the locusts, and shortly after his arrival sowars also appeared 

 on the scene who greatly assisted me in keeping the long and unwieldy skir- 

 mishing line in hand. 



"5. In some fields locusts could be seen covering every inch of ground 

 waiting until their more lucky brethren had had their fill. Our skirmishing line 

 must, however, have disturbed many thousands of expectant and hungry locusts 

 who, as they rose in the air, received volleys and blank ammunition to hasten 

 their ascension. Far away to the East could be seen heavy clouds cf smoke 

 rising skywards through which enormous flights of locusts happily and uncon- 

 cernedly winged their way. To the West masses of disappointed locusts 



