52 



ising at the time it occurred. This was at Sterling, Colo. , and was 

 conducted by a Mr. George W. Martin, who obtained tubes of the 

 fungus culture from the Department of Agriculture in Washington. 

 The writer on visiting the locality found that, although the native 

 locusts of two or three species were dying in large numbers, they all 

 fell to the ground instead of clinging to the vegetation, as they should 

 have done if death had resulted from the South African disease accord- 

 ing to the account referred to above. Then, too, reports of similar 

 fatalities among the 'hoppers, coming from localities widely removed 

 from where the fungus in question had been distributed, seemed to 

 indicate the presence of another and entirely distinct disease. During 

 the present year (August, 1901,) a culture of a species of Sporotrichum 

 has been secured from such dead insects gathered on the North Platte 

 River and about 16 miles from Ogallala, Nebr. 



In Australia it is reported that a fungus determined as Mucor race- 

 mosus, cultures of which were obtained from South Africa, has proved 

 so useful in destroying the destructive locusts of Victoria that it is no 

 longer considered an experiment, but has passed into a matter of every- 

 day practice. Either this same Mucor or a closely allied one is also 

 claimed to have been secured from insects which died as the result of 

 an outbreak of a locust disease in Mississippi, as will be referred to 

 more fully further on. 



It will be seen from what has just been said that there are without 

 doubt several distinct kinds of these locust-killing fungi, and that they 

 are not the same the world over. The knowledge of this fact is per- 

 haps very fortunate if we are to profit at all in our attempts to make 

 use of them in dealing with the locust pest. 



Since each species of locust differs in structure and habits more or 

 less markedly from all others, and the climatic and other conditions 

 by which the} T are surrounded in their respective habitats are so dis- 

 similar in many instances, it must be true that a great diversity like- 

 wise exists among them as regards hardiness. Hence it is natural for 

 us to suppose that the various fungi which are apt to attack and destroy 

 them must also vary in these respects. That such a conclusion is 

 warranted can be gathered from what follows. 



EMPUSA GRYLLI. 



Perhaps the most characteristic of these different locust-attacking 

 fungi is the one recognized the world over as Empusa grylli Fres. 

 It has been knowm, botanically at least, since 1856, when it was first 

 described by G. Fresenius (Botanische Zeitung, Band XIV, p. 882, 

 1856). Not only does it attack the different species of destructive 

 locusts (members of the family Acridiidae), some of the hairy cater- 

 pillars, and a few of the crane flies along with their larvae, but it is 

 also frequently to be found as an enemy of various other Orthopter- 



