l6 THE BIOLOGICAL REVIEW. 



It is to be hoped that next summer something unfavorable to 

 their increase may occur, or many farmers will be eaten out of 

 house and home. 



Geo. Brodie. 



Craigieburn, Whitchurch. 



The County of Middlesex was scourged last summer by 

 immense swarms of grasshoppers. The common red-legged 

 species (C. femur -rubrum) was the most numerous, but the 

 larger greenish-yellow species (C. bivittatus) was also numerous. 



The hay and pasture were injured to some extent, but the 

 oats suffered more than any of the other crops. The turnips, 

 also cabbage, were injured to a great extent, not only along the 

 margins of the fields, but over the whole area. Over entire 

 fields the leaves were skeletonized, nothing but the mid and 

 side ribs standing up. 



The corn crop, nearly all farm crops, even onions, were con- 

 siderably injured. Mangolds was the only crop which escaped. 



They were especially numerous towards the latter part of the 

 season, and the aftergrowth of hay fields and pastures generally 

 was very much kept down by them, thus lessening dairy pro- 

 ducts to a considerable extent. 



Prince Edward County, which I recently visited, seems to 

 have suffered about as much as Middlesex, and it is now pretty 

 certain that the plague was general over the Province. 



It is much to be desired that full statistics, as to the amount 

 of injury done to farm interests last season by grasshoppers, be 

 compiled and published. It would be a very surprising record 

 to many farmers, who are very apt to underestimate the 

 injurious effect of insects. 



In the absence of such statistics any estimate must be more 

 or less inacurate, but, taking as a basis of calculation the 

 estimate that the injury on every farm amounted to one hun- 

 dred dollars, a very moderate one, the aggregate is away up in 

 the tens of millions of dollars. 



W. A. Brodie. 



Belmont. 



