c The Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 
Mr. Trimen’s list of fresh-water fish—fifteen—is clearly incomplete, 
whilst our batrachians are sure to yield several new species to the 
investigator. 
The following notes on the Red Locust, by Dr. KANNEMEYER, were 
also read : 
On several occasions I have been told by some of our oldest residents 
that the country sixty years ago was invaded by swarms of large red- 
winged locusts, which did immense damage ; the few orchards then in 
existence were practically destroyed, even the bark being devoured. 
Peaches were still unripe, but only the bare stones were left attached to 
the leafless branches. They even devoured linen or cloth. By prefer- 
ence they slept in trees. They were known as ‘red locusts.’ The name 
is very appropriate, for it is astonishing how conspicuously the faint 
reddish tint of the underwing shows up during flight. This, together 
with their larger size, greater activity and robustness on the wing, and 
wariness, serve to distinguish them from the ordinary locust. On both 
occasions they appeared here in January. I submitted the examples I 
sent to those who had witnessed the 1834 invasion, and they were at 
once recognised as identical. 
Several impregnated females have lately been faiitid, but I do not 
think we need fear an injurious increase, for what happened in the 
thirties has happened now. Then, as now, the ordinary locust abounded, 
and the intruders speedily got mixed up with them, so that in a short 
space of time merely scattered individuals were found all about the 
country. The swarm from which the specimens sent were obtained 
entered the colony to the west of Aliwalin a compact mass. Whilst in 
the Burghersdorp district they soon became mixed up with several 
flights of ordinary locusts, and in a short time scattered individuals and 
small parties were found over an extent of country thirty or forty miles 
wide. Previously to that I had noticed an individual here and there 
accompanying the ordinary swarms, so that the disintegrating process 
had already commenced elsewhere. 
I do not know what proportion of ordinary locusts’ eggs are fertile, 
but this I am sure of, that of those hatched out not one in two hundred, 
probably not one in five hundred, reaches maturity. It is only when 
the country is overrun by the introduction of overwhelming swarms 
from elsewhere, constantly reinforced, that the locust is able to survive 
in harmful numbers. This produces a surfeit of food. Every living 
creature is its enemy. I have frequently had the opportunity of 
watching the hatching out of what was destined to become a large 
swarm, fairly exterminated within a week, mainly by indigenous birds. 
This fact is well exemplified by the case of the large queen locust 
occurring sparsely over the whole country, and well known as the 
‘ Zeer oog sprinkaan’; it is immensely more prolific than the ordinary 
