404 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 



On the twentieth, while the wind was blowing strongly, I 

 found their behavior quite different from 1»hat which 1 have just 

 described. At this time they were wary, being ready at the 

 slightest provocation to take to their wings. When so startled 

 they flew but a few yards, but they always showed an indis- 

 position to leave the immediate locality, which I show in my 

 landscape view. On one occasion I found many of the adult 

 males assembled on the ground at a certain point among the 

 short marsh grass. Then, after further investigation, I com- 

 menced finding females congregated, to the extent of five or 

 six in number. I had not noticed the latter at first, owing 

 to their harmonious coloring exactly simulating the grasses. 

 So inactive were the females here, that I picked them up with 

 my fingers with little difficulty. 



Associated with the short-horned locust on the lizard 's- 

 tail leaves and blue flag were a number of lubberly and two- 

 striped Melanoplus, which are found widely distributed. The 

 frogs and the garter snakes were quite numerous here. One 

 garter snake climbed to the top of the herbage, and there 

 seemed content to spread its coils out to get the full rays of 

 the sun. I wondered, while viewing this sight, if these fre- 

 quenters were not a factor in reducing the numbers of these 

 grasshoppers, yet I did not see them feeding on insects. 



At a certain period in the late summer, the short-horned 

 locust flnally becomes discontented with its exclusive home 

 among the lizard's tail, and sets out on a migratory expedition, 

 never to return again to the place of its birth. The first evi- 

 dence of this was found on the night of August sixteenth, 

 when one of these insects, attracted by the bright light of a 

 lantern, came flying down at our doorway. I assured myself 

 that this was a migration, for the natural dwelling place of 

 these short-horned locusts was not less than several hundred 

 yards away. Afterward, I found other specimens of this 

 species, washed up on the beach at the shore of Lake Michigan, 

 which seemed convincing proof of the truth of my deductions. 

 The short-horned locust has a southern distribution; only once 

 has it been found as far north as Ontario. The short-horned 

 locust well illustrates the adaptation of an insect to hydro- 

 phytic plant societies. 



