12 



Eggs. — Eggs are deposited in masses (oothecae), see fig. 2. just below 

 the surface of the ground. They are arranged irregularly in the egg 

 sac. are small, light colored, and contrast strongly with the large, con- 

 spicuously red eggs of Schistocerca obscura, so often found associated 

 with those of the differential. The period of egg-laying depends 

 upon the time the females reach maturity; even those hatching at the 

 same time may vary in maturing as much as twelve days or two weeks. 

 It was found that eggs may be deposited from July 20 to October 1, 

 and by stragglers even later. The bulk of oviposition, however, takes 

 place between August 10 and September 15. Single females separated 

 to determine the number of egg-pods deposited indicate in most cases 

 that but a single batch of eggs is laid. The number of eggs in each sac 

 ranged from 103 to 132. Mating was observed to generally take place 

 twice at an interval of from ten to twelve days; the female oviposit- 

 ing from three to five days after the second copulation. 



Egg-laying areas. — Places selected for depositing eggs are more or 

 less local, and a knowledge of them is interesting and important, as they 

 offer most excellent means of effecting remedies. 

 The account, given above, of the basin of 

 300 acres which had become hard after flood- 

 ing, and the spread of the grasshoppers from 

 this region into cultivated fields suggests that 

 any such territory is perhaps the most favor- 

 able egg-laying area: other places were found 

 equally attractive during' 1899. Ditch and bay- 

 ou banks, plantation roads, the railroad right 

 of way. upon levees, Indian mounds (common 

 fig. 2.-ootheca or egg case of in the delta), around stumps and logs, and even 



Melanoplvs differentiate (origi- j n tne \ Q ^ at tne eDC [ Q f corn an( J co tton l'OWS 



(the turn rows), in lanes, and Bermuda pastures 

 were all found plugged with egg-pods. Just at the edges of sloughs 

 and on the turn rows are thought by the managers to be the most 

 common egg-laying places, but the opportunity for witnessing the 

 females ovipositing eggs in these regions is much better than in the 

 less-frequented waste and sodded areas, and thus Ave may account for 

 the prevalence of this belief. Some females were seen depositing eggs 

 far out in cultivated fields, but such cases were not common, and even 

 then the harder spots near the basis of a cotton plant were selected. It 

 was not unusual to find the egg-pods of three or even four species of 

 grasshoppers side by side. In fact, it was due to the conspicuous col- 

 onizing of the eggs of Schistocerca obscura that many of the egg-laying 

 areas of ditf'crentialis were discovered. 



You/kj and adults. — Eggs remaining in the soil over winter begin 

 hatching as early as April 15, but the majority of young emerge 

 between May 1 and May 20. Eggs exposed upon the surface of the 



