57 



variety, which has been figured by Auclinet-Serville (1839) and de- 

 scribed siuce that time by a number of observers of the insect inva- 

 sions of Algeria. M. d'Herculais, however, says that his observations 

 establish the fact that all the changes of color which are observed in 

 this species — i. e., from rose-colored to red, to gray, to sienna, to cit- 

 ron yellow — mark so many stages of growth, and serve as a criterion to 

 determine, first, the origin of the invasion, and second, the period when 

 the first egg-laying may be accom]3lished. For instance,, the locusts 

 described in December in the extreme south were of a carmine red j 

 they were hatched at least a month before; they were developed at a dis- 

 tance of at least thirty days^ march. They would take several weeks to 

 assume the yellow tint, and could not lay eggs until two months, at 

 least, had gone by. When they had assumed the sienna color ])airing 

 and copulation began j when the yellow stage was reached, pairing and 

 copulation were renewed. There may be pairing between yellow males 

 and sienna- colored females, and vice versa. The red-colored locusts, 

 which do not pair, and the females of which, consequently, do not lay 

 eggs, are those which the inhabitants of the Sahara gather and eat. 

 The action of light upon the changes of color is very marked ; young 

 locusts raised in the shade do not exhibit the vivid colors of their 

 brothers who have lived in the full light of the sun. From these 

 changes of color, M. d'Herculais suspects the j)resence of zoonerythrine, 

 a red pigment discovered by Merejkowsky in many invertebrates, 

 notably among the Crustaceans, but not described as occurring in in- 

 sects. It is a substance which corresponds to the hemoglobin in verte- 

 brates. 



'^grasshoppers" in the east. 



The extraordinary abundance of local non-migratory locusts, or ' 'grass- 

 hoppers," in different parts of the country last year led us to ex^ject 

 reports of similar occurrences the present season. Up to the present 

 time, however, comparatively few such reports have been brought to 

 our attention. The first notice was in the St. Louis Eepuhlie, June 17, 

 where it was reported that at Washington, Miss., one planter is stated 

 to have lost 200 acres of cotton through grasshoppers. 



No further reports were heard until, during the first part of August, 

 the hoppers made their appearance in the gardens of Hagerstown, Md., 

 making havoc with sweet corn and other garden vegetables. About 

 the same time a number of reports came in from western Pennsylvania. 

 The Netvcastle Ifews of August 6, the Lock Haven LJuopress of August 

 9, the Fittshiirgh Leader of August 11, the Pittsburgh 'Despatch of 

 August 17, the Mauch Chunk Times of August 15, a West Newton 

 journal of August 11, the Washingto7i Observer of August 12, the 

 Leeclibiirgh Advance of August 12, and the Greensburgh Press of Aug- 

 ust 16, all contained items announcing that considerable damage was 

 being done to the oat crop in their respective neighborhoods. The 



