394 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



Mr. J. C. Elliot, of Sheldon, Iowa, thus describes a machine of his own 

 devising that was much liked in his section : 



Take a strip of fine lumber 1 inch thick, 2 inches wide, and 10 or 12 feet long ; about 

 18 inches from each end mortise in a strip about 2 feet long of the same material as 

 .vour main piece ; run a strong wire from one end of the main piece over the ends of 

 the two upright pieces and fasten to the opposite ends of the main strip, forming the 

 frame- work to the mouth of your dozer. The wire should be permanently fastened to 

 the top ends of the upright piece to form a brace to keep them always in place. Place 

 the long strip of lumber on the ground so that the standards stand perpendicular ; 

 take two widths of strong cotton cloth the length of your main strip, sew them to- 

 gether so you will have double width, tack one side of the cloth to the long wood strip : 

 this forms the bottom. Take of mosquito-bar enough to form a top to the net, fasten- 

 ing one side to the wire running over the top of the standards ; put in such gores of 

 cotton cloth at the ends as you may need to form a complete sack of the cotton cloth 

 and mosquito-bar. A good plan to facilir ate taking out the 'hoppers after caught is to 

 let the back part of the net run to a point in the center, and leave a small opening, 

 which can be fastened with a string while at work, and unloosened to empty out the 

 'hoppers. The object of the mosquito-bar is to allow the wind to pass through and keep 

 the 'hoppers in the net. 



A very successful method of catching pupse was used by Mr. Lowe 

 and Mr. Hall, farmers, in McLeod County, Minn. It is simply equivalent 

 to a wagon-body with one side removed, to be drawn over the grain after 

 dark. The locusts roosting on the grain fall into it, simply lie there and 

 become entangled in a mass, and may be easily shoveled into a hole. 

 Mr. Hall thinks he caught 800 bushels in the latter part of June; Mr. 

 Lowe, 40U. 



While in Iowa we inspected one of the following machines, which was 

 not in working order, however, at the time. Nor was it much used, 

 even in the locality where invented. It is patented by Mr. George S. 

 Wilson, of Malvern, and Mr. John Ehode, of Tabor, Iowa (patent No. 

 192,553, dated June 26, 1877), and is described below. (Kig. 95.) 



a a represent two driving- 

 wheels, upon which the ma- 

 chine is propelled about by a 

 person or persons pushing from 

 behind on the handle c. Tho 

 frame consists, preferably, at 

 each end of the two curved 

 timbers d, as shown, between 

 which is clamped a curved 

 sheet-metal plate, e, which 

 forms the floor of the machine. 

 Secure 1 to the inside edge of 

 the top timber, at each end, 

 is a curved plate, g, which 

 forms a flange along each end 

 of the machine, in order to pre- 

 vent the insects from being 

 swept or jumping from the 

 floor. 



To the rear edge of the floor 

 is secured a box or receptacle, 

 i, as long as the floor is wide, into which the insects are swept whole by the rtel h. 

 The cover of this box does not quite reach to the forward edge, thus leaving tho 

 space 1, through which the insects fall into the box. The upper end of the lid is 

 turned backward a considerable distance, so as to form the flange 2, thereby prevent- 

 ing the insects from being swept back past the floor and opening 1 upon the ground 

 behind. 



Extending across the front edge of the machine is a board or bar, n, sharp at its front 

 edge, and the ends of which p.oj^ct beyond each side of the frame, and serve as a 

 support for one of the three braces or standards 3, upon the tops of which the reel is 



Fig. 95.— The Wilson-Khode Locust-catcher: Side view. 



