﻿252 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  to 
  me 
  in 
  the 
  outset,) 
  is 
  radically 
  wrong. 
  The 
  statement 
  is 
  made 
  that 
  "to 
  put 
  in 
  

   grain 
  crops 
  would 
  only 
  foster 
  the 
  scourge, 
  while 
  to 
  let 
  the 
  ground 
  lie 
  idle 
  may 
  starve 
  

   the 
  rapacious 
  insects 
  into 
  emigrating." 
  

  

  No, 
  no. 
  Plow 
  and 
  sow, 
  and 
  harrow 
  and 
  roll, 
  spade 
  and 
  ditch 
  the 
  infected 
  spots. 
  

   Aided 
  by 
  friends, 
  seen 
  and 
  unseen, 
  the 
  plague 
  may 
  be 
  averted. 
  Take 
  the 
  example 
  of 
  

   the 
  farmers 
  of 
  the 
  East, 
  who 
  fight 
  the 
  " 
  hated 
  " 
  locust, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  like 
  contending 
  

   against 
  the 
  wind, 
  at 
  great 
  expense, 
  with 
  coal-oil 
  cans, 
  with 
  gathering 
  machines, 
  with 
  

   fire 
  and 
  water. 
  Failing 
  to 
  fight 
  them 
  here 
  and 
  now, 
  the 
  creatures 
  may 
  take 
  posses- 
  

   sion 
  and 
  breed 
  in 
  destructive 
  numbers 
  annually, 
  since 
  this 
  is 
  as 
  natural 
  a 
  breeding 
  

   ground 
  as 
  any 
  other. 
  For 
  some 
  reason 
  the 
  " 
  check 
  " 
  is 
  removed. 
  Let 
  us 
  seek 
  out 
  

   another. 
  Let 
  fortunate 
  farmers 
  not 
  gloat 
  over 
  the 
  temporary 
  advantages 
  to 
  them 
  

   from 
  the 
  misfortunes 
  of 
  their 
  neighbors, 
  for 
  the 
  " 
  atrocious" 
  locust 
  is 
  perfectly 
  at 
  

   home 
  here, 
  and 
  may 
  radiate 
  in 
  any 
  direction 
  towards 
  the 
  most 
  inviting 
  fields. 
  Let 
  

   them 
  rather 
  get 
  into 
  full 
  sympathy 
  with 
  the 
  sufferers, 
  remembering 
  that 
  really 
  in 
  

   calamities 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  all 
  the 
  community 
  suffers. 
  Let 
  all 
  join 
  as 
  one 
  man 
  to 
  limit, 
  

   cripple, 
  and 
  kill 
  off 
  this 
  common 
  enemy 
  — 
  the 
  " 
  atrocious 
  locust." 
  

  

  April 
  2, 
  1879. 
  

  

  Three 
  days 
  after 
  sending 
  you 
  the 
  articles 
  on 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Valley 
  scourge, 
  I 
  received 
  a 
  

   letter 
  from 
  Professor 
  Riley, 
  Chief 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Entomological 
  Commission, 
  

   accompanying 
  a 
  box 
  of 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  migratory 
  species 
  — 
  as 
  I 
  had 
  requested 
  

   in 
  March 
  last. 
  These 
  specimens 
  confirm 
  my 
  determinations 
  as 
  given, 
  that 
  our 
  locust 
  

   is 
  not 
  a 
  true 
  migratore. 
  In 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  full 
  descriptions 
  and 
  perfect 
  specimens 
  the 
  

   task 
  of 
  determining 
  what 
  species 
  it 
  was 
  became 
  the 
  more 
  difficult. 
  There 
  is 
  little 
  

   doubt, 
  however, 
  that 
  I 
  have 
  named 
  it 
  correctly, 
  as 
  corroborated 
  by 
  the 
  statements 
  of 
  

   its 
  habits 
  as 
  given 
  by 
  my 
  afflicted 
  neighbors. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  several 
  observations 
  to 
  make, 
  derived 
  from 
  a 
  close 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  

   young 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  hatching 
  out. 
  A 
  pan 
  of 
  earth 
  containing 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  eggs 
  

   in 
  their 
  pockets 
  was 
  brought 
  in 
  during 
  the 
  fine 
  weather 
  in 
  February, 
  and 
  since 
  have 
  

   remained 
  near 
  the 
  stove, 
  in 
  even 
  temperature. 
  On 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  April, 
  the 
  eggs 
  began 
  to 
  

   hatch 
  out, 
  and 
  the 
  microscope, 
  aided 
  by 
  plates 
  and 
  descriptions 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  

   the 
  United 
  States 
  Entomological 
  Commission, 
  has 
  revealed 
  wonders 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  life 
  

   of 
  this 
  terrible 
  plague. 
  

  

  The 
  young 
  atrox 
  pushes 
  off 
  the 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  shell 
  and 
  the 
  tough 
  chorion 
  or 
  

   inner 
  membrane, 
  like 
  a 
  cap, 
  and 
  emerges 
  by 
  movements 
  maggot-like 
  in 
  action, 
  always 
  

   striving 
  to 
  move 
  upwards. 
  It 
  is 
  still 
  encased 
  in 
  a 
  membrane 
  or 
  mantle 
  (the 
  amnion), 
  

   that 
  fits 
  it 
  like 
  a 
  glove, 
  encasing 
  every 
  organ 
  separately. 
  In 
  pushing 
  its 
  way 
  upward 
  

   to 
  the 
  light 
  and 
  air 
  the 
  little 
  baby 
  — 
  about 
  20 
  hundredths 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  long 
  — 
  is 
  soft 
  and 
  

   pliable, 
  freely 
  turning 
  in 
  every 
  direction. 
  It 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  arrange 
  this 
  tough 
  enveloping 
  

   mantle 
  into 
  loose 
  bands 
  encircling 
  its 
  body 
  j 
  the 
  lower 
  edge 
  of 
  each 
  band 
  being 
  free, 
  

   is 
  alternately 
  expanded 
  with 
  great 
  force, 
  and 
  then 
  contracted. 
  When 
  expanded 
  the 
  

   outward 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  inclined 
  bands 
  take 
  hold 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  while 
  the 
  insect 
  pushes 
  

   its 
  head 
  upward 
  with 
  -great 
  force. 
  Advancing 
  by 
  contracting 
  its 
  body 
  and 
  drawing 
  

   it 
  in 
  a 
  heap 
  towards 
  its 
  head, 
  it 
  next 
  expands, 
  the 
  band 
  edges 
  cope 
  with 
  the 
  earth 
  on 
  

   all 
  sides, 
  while 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  advanced, 
  as 
  before. 
  Arrived 
  at 
  the 
  surface, 
  the 
  little 
  

   white 
  fellow 
  lies 
  on 
  its 
  side 
  a 
  moment, 
  as 
  if 
  resting 
  ; 
  then 
  commences 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  con- 
  

   tortions, 
  resulting 
  in 
  the 
  bursting 
  of 
  the 
  mantle 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  neck. 
  The 
  slit 
  

   extends 
  soon 
  around 
  to 
  nearly 
  below, 
  the 
  edges 
  sliding 
  back 
  each 
  way, 
  allowing 
  the 
  

   facile 
  creature 
  to 
  emerge, 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  first. 
  The 
  forward 
  portion 
  is 
  soon 
  

   slipped 
  over 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  face, 
  the 
  antennae 
  and 
  jaws 
  withdrawn, 
  the 
  white 
  shriveling 
  

   mantle 
  is 
  pushed 
  downward, 
  releasing 
  the 
  legs, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  moments 
  the 
  whole 
  is 
  

   kicked 
  off 
  by 
  the 
  hind 
  legs, 
  a 
  small 
  crumpled 
  mass 
  resembling 
  a 
  minute 
  mushroom. 
  

   At 
  first 
  the 
  insect 
  is 
  white 
  and 
  limber, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  space 
  of 
  an 
  hour 
  becomes 
  black, 
  

   fully 
  hardened, 
  and 
  active. 
  Its 
  eyes 
  and 
  head 
  are 
  relatively 
  very 
  large, 
  its 
  face 
  slop- 
  

   ing 
  inward, 
  with 
  never 
  a 
  sign 
  of 
  a 
  wing, 
  but 
  with 
  sight, 
  hearing, 
  legs 
  and 
  appetite 
  

   wonderfully 
  strong. 
  

  

  