﻿2l6 FIELD AND FOREST. 



This was carried on with all the strategy that one might expect to 

 be exhibited by creatures possessing a higher brain power. In the last 

 battle the martins gave no quarter ; but instinct or something more 

 than instinct gave them to understand that the box served the blue- 

 birds as a sort of fortress, and therefore it was impossible to make 

 them surrender except by Kesorting to stratagem. — M. E. B. 



[This seems to be a not uncommon habit of martins when they con- 

 sider their rights are being infringed upon by other birds, as there are 

 many incidents on record of precisely the same action as described 

 by our correspodent. At present, however, we can only refer to 

 a case related in the habits of the house-martin, in Wood's Natural 

 History. — Ed.] 



Concussion Theory. — Mr. Hardee, of Florida, in a recent 

 number of this journal stated that he believed that one hundred pounds 

 of gunpowder exploded four feet under ground would destroy the eggs 

 of the grasshopper for a distance of twelve miles in every direction from 

 the point of explosion. Some of the gentlemen of this locality seeing 

 the article referred to, concluded to test the theory. They placed a 

 twenty-five pound keg of gunpowder four feet under ground and packed 

 the earth thoroughly around it, and on the top of the ground above the 

 blast they placed a large water-wheel, weighing about one thousand 

 pounds, so as to confine the force of the powder as much as possible. 

 I am happy to state that the experiment was eminently successful. The 

 powder was exploded. The water-wheel was hurled one hnndred feet 

 into the air, and the concussion resulting from the striking of the wheel 

 against the ground killed all the grasshoppers' eggs that it struck when 

 it fell. I did not notice that the eggs were affected anywhere else, as 

 they are hatching in immense numbers within fifty feet of the place of 

 explosion ; but it is positively certain that those where the wheel /// 

 were badly demoralized. I notice also that Mr. Hardee has his plan 

 before the Senate Committee of Agriculture. I would suggest to that 

 committee, that if in connection with this gunpowder theory the gov- 

 ernment would furnish water-wheels enough the grasshopper question 

 might be permanently settled. The only trouble would be that the 

 plan might be considered slightly expensive. — Geo. Welles, in Ne- 

 braska Farmer. 



