﻿HABITS 
  OF 
  THE 
  WESTERN 
  CRICKET. 
  63 
  

  

  year, 
  devouring 
  the 
  wild 
  grasses 
  and 
  herbs. 
  At 
  times, 
  through 
  some 
  

   unnatural 
  increase 
  or 
  the 
  scarcity 
  of 
  food 
  in 
  these 
  localities, 
  or, 
  perhaps, 
  

   from 
  the 
  perfecting 
  of 
  some 
  latent 
  desire 
  to 
  roam, 
  they 
  make 
  the 
  ap- 
  

   pearance 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time, 
  and 
  then 
  are 
  off 
  again 
  for 
  the 
  uplands, 
  to 
  

   remain 
  a 
  mystery 
  for 
  another 
  indefinite 
  number 
  of 
  years. 
  I 
  was 
  really 
  

   surprised 
  at 
  the 
  ignorance 
  displayed 
  by 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  

   Western 
  Territories, 
  many 
  of 
  whom 
  were 
  of 
  the 
  opinion 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  

   the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  cicadas 
  and 
  other 
  periodical 
  species. 
  As 
  wide 
  as 
  the 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  this 
  insect 
  is, 
  the 
  locality, 
  however, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  the 
  

   most 
  numerous 
  is 
  the 
  lava 
  region 
  along 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Snake 
  Eiver. 
  

   Here 
  it 
  is 
  that 
  we 
  hear 
  of 
  them 
  in 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  numbers 
  every 
  year. 
  

  

  This 
  year 
  I 
  heard 
  of 
  crickets 
  throughout 
  Idaho, 
  Montana, 
  and 
  east- 
  

   ern 
  Washington 
  Territory, 
  and 
  was 
  fortunate 
  enough 
  to 
  meet 
  a 
  gentle- 
  

   man 
  (Mr. 
  A. 
  Bowen, 
  of 
  Colfax, 
  W. 
  T.) 
  who 
  was 
  able 
  to 
  give 
  me 
  some 
  

   information 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  their 
  breeding 
  habits 
  in 
  the 
  eastern 
  portion 
  

   of 
  Washington 
  Territory. 
  The 
  following 
  is 
  the 
  natural 
  history 
  of 
  these 
  

   insects, 
  as 
  given 
  by 
  him 
  : 
  

  

  Crickets 
  are 
  frequently 
  seen 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  at 
  different 
  localities 
  throughout 
  

   eastern 
  Washington 
  Territory, 
  and 
  at 
  times 
  have 
  done 
  considerable 
  damage 
  to 
  

   crops, 
  vegetables, 
  and 
  grasses. 
  That 
  they 
  should 
  occasion 
  great 
  alarm 
  when 
  ap- 
  

   pearing 
  in 
  such 
  vast 
  droves 
  is 
  quite 
  natural 
  ; 
  but, 
  in 
  reality, 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  danger- 
  

   ous 
  as 
  might 
  be 
  supposed, 
  since 
  they 
  are 
  very 
  easily 
  checked 
  in 
  their 
  march 
  by 
  

   ditches, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  readily 
  destroyed. 
  If 
  a 
  ditch 
  two 
  feet 
  wide 
  and 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  

   deep 
  be 
  dug 
  across 
  their 
  line 
  of 
  march 
  they 
  will 
  fall 
  into 
  it 
  and 
  cannot 
  get 
  out. 
  By 
  

   putting 
  in 
  larger 
  pits 
  at 
  intervals 
  they 
  are 
  doubly 
  ''corralled," 
  and 
  soon 
  begin 
  de- 
  

   stroying 
  one 
  another, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  great 
  cannibals. 
  Rolling 
  the 
  ground, 
  too, 
  is 
  of 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  aid 
  toward 
  diminishing 
  their 
  numbers. 
  

  

  When 
  once 
  started 
  in 
  a 
  certain 
  direction 
  it 
  is 
  seldom 
  that 
  they 
  turn 
  aside 
  for 
  or- 
  

   dinary 
  obstacles, 
  but 
  keep 
  straight 
  ahead 
  until 
  they 
  "fetch 
  up" 
  in 
  some 
  creek, 
  

   ditch, 
  or 
  pit, 
  and 
  are 
  lost 
  by 
  drowning 
  or 
  by 
  being 
  devoured 
  by 
  their 
  stronger 
  neigh- 
  

   bors 
  and 
  kinsfolk. 
  

  

  In 
  speaking 
  of 
  this 
  insect 
  Mr. 
  Bowen 
  said 
  that 
  " 
  the 
  young 
  were 
  so 
  

   small 
  when 
  first 
  hatched 
  that 
  they 
  could 
  hardly 
  be 
  seen," 
  but 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  

   days 
  they 
  molt 
  and 
  become 
  perceptibly 
  larger. 
  This 
  '•' 
  shedding 
  " 
  is 
  

   repeated 
  several 
  times, 
  until 
  they 
  have 
  finally 
  attained 
  full 
  size, 
  after 
  

   which 
  they 
  become 
  quite 
  dark 
  colored. 
  When 
  ready 
  to 
  molt 
  they 
  

   climb 
  up 
  a 
  blade 
  of 
  grass, 
  weed, 
  or 
  some 
  other 
  object, 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  

   cling 
  while 
  going 
  through 
  the 
  process; 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  skiu 
  of 
  the 
  

   cricket 
  first 
  cracks 
  open 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  like 
  a 
  cicada, 
  and 
  the 
  new 
  insect 
  

   comes 
  out 
  " 
  fresh 
  and 
  green," 
  but 
  soft. 
  Sometimes 
  the 
  shell 
  is 
  eaten, 
  

   but 
  generally 
  is 
  left 
  clinging 
  where 
  it 
  was 
  shed. 
  

  

  In 
  early 
  spring 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  just 
  hatched 
  the 
  little 
  fellows 
  are 
  found 
  

   in 
  clusters 
  of 
  twenty 
  to 
  forty 
  — 
  probably 
  the 
  offspring 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  female, 
  

   or 
  more 
  likely 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  batch 
  of 
  eggs. 
  These 
  young 
  as 
  they 
  increase 
  

   in 
  size 
  spread 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  until 
  they 
  form 
  circular 
  droves 
  with 
  a 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  twenty 
  or 
  more 
  feet, 
  and 
  finally 
  the 
  various 
  broods 
  become 
  

   so 
  intermingled 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  no 
  longer 
  discernible. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  often 
  been 
  a 
  query 
  with 
  the 
  settlers 
  of 
  various 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  