Habits, and Power for Injury. 07 



the grass is closely grazed, are much used for ovipositing 

 by the female, while on well-traveled roads she seldom 

 gets time to fulfill the act without being disturbed. Thus 

 a well-traveled road may present the appearance of being 

 perfectly honey-combed with holes, when an examination 

 will show that most of them are unfinished, and contain 

 no eggs ; whereas a field covered with grass-stubble may 

 show no signs of such holes and yet abound with eggs. 

 Furthermore, the insects are more readily noticed at their 

 work along roads and roadsides than in fields, a fact which 

 has also had something to do in forming the popular im- 

 pression. Newly plowed land is not liked ; it presents too 

 loose a surface ; but newly broken sward is often filled with 

 eggs. Moist or wet ground is generally avoided for the 

 purpose under consideration. During the operation the 

 female is very intent on her work, and may be gently ap- 

 proached without becoming alarmed, though when sud- 

 denly disturbed she makes great efforts to get away, and 

 extricates her abdomen in the course of a few seconds, the 

 time depending on the depth reached. 



TIME OF HATCHING. 



The date at which the eggs hatch varies with the 

 earliness or lateness of the spring, and is moreover quite 

 irregular, some hatching in the same locality when the 

 first-hatched locusts are getting wings. As a general rule, 

 however, the bulk of the eggs hatch out in the different 

 latitudes about as follows : 



In Texas, from the middle to the last of March. 

 In the southern portions of Missouri and Kansas, about 

 the second week in April. 



In the northern parts of Missouri and Kansas and the 

 southern sections of Iowa and Nebraska, the latter part 

 of April and first of May. 



In Minnesota and Dakota, the usual time of hatching 



