RAVAGES OF LOCUSTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA. 463 



temperature always very warm. The time of the day when started by men was in the 

 morning from six o'clock to eight o'clock, and portions were caught and burned in 

 heaps. 



3. The eggs, ever since, to the present time, have been deposited, although in a con- 

 siderable small portion, abandoned as they are on the consideration of not being de- 

 structive ; since the damage done has not been of much consequence, not even on 

 the Agave leaves which they at first ate but did not kill. They deposit their eggs in 

 summer, say from February to June. At present are very scarce, and the large swarms 

 are not found as in 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, and 1876. 



4. This year are very scarce. 



5. February, 1875. 



6. I suppose as the only reason for their scarcity this year the heavy rains that oc- 

 curred from July to October. 



9. August. 



11. The injury done as yet is of no consequence, with the exception of some one or 

 other corn-field. 



16. The only means employed is that of catching them early in the morning to be 

 burned, or raised up by noise to make them fly away from the spot. In the morning 

 has been more easy to catch them, for they cannot fly. I suiDpose on account of morn- 

 ing dew. 



19. The year 1876 is the last year when numerous swarms have been seen. This 

 year, to the present date, are very few. 



20. Never previous to 1871. 



21. They have been extensively useful in the destruction of these insects, numerous 

 as our birds are, of all kinds on the fields. As it has been observed that these insects 

 are not so voracious as the Arabian locusts, it is supposed to belong to a kind of grass- 

 hopper natural to this country, although these sent now as a sample are larger. 



Merida, December 24, 1877. 



MANL. MEDINA. 



The specimens sent by Signor Medina, and supposed by him to be the 

 same as those destructive in 1871, were sent to Mr. S. H. Scudder for 

 identification, and most of them proved to be Acrydium americanum ; 

 with these occurred specimens of an unknown species allied to Acry- 

 dium flavofasciatum De Geer. 



We have also received the following account of the locust in Granada, 

 through the kindness of Mr. Flint: 



Granada, Nicaragua, Decemher 18, 1877. 



My Dear Sir : Yours of November 26 reached me yesterday, asking for information 

 relative to the locusts that invaded this republic last year. 



During a residence of twenty-seven years I have observed but two invasions. The 

 first appeared in 1851, entering at Chinendaga from the northwest point along the 

 coast from Cosaguina. Many falling into the sea were floated ashore and caused a 

 stench for many days along the beach as far down as Escalante. How far inland they 

 reached at that time is not known. They were quite destructive to the crops at that 

 time. I resided at Realjo, and a friend of mine, S. Watts, living near Chinendaga, 

 showed me his corn-field, entirely eaten up in one forenoon. The country was in revo- 

 lution at the time and little was done to abate their progress. I well remember one 

 day while at Chinendaga — the whole town was in an uproar, beating on drums, tin 

 pans, and every conceivable thing, to prevent their alighting in the neighborhood. 

 They reached the department of Rivas in 1853 ; their progress is gradually south- 

 ward; they disappeared in 1854. They were the same as those now devastating 

 Nicaragua. 



Appeared in 1876, after an interval of twenty-five years, entering, as before, about 



