228 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



[Vol. 8 



offender, though Melmioplus femoratus Burm., Camnula p.ellucida 

 Scudd. and Dissosteira Carolina Linn, were also present and in some 

 localities rather abundant, this being particularly true of Camnula at 

 Wells. The outbreak was a cuhnination of one or more years of grass- 

 hopper abundance which seemed to be greatly favored by unusually 

 dry weather in May and June, while the pests were in immature stages. 

 The limitation of the outbreak to sandy, especially wild or semiwild 

 areas was very evident, and although there was some drifting of the 

 grasshoppers with the wind from field to field, in general the pests were 

 local in habit. Injurj. to buckwheat was quite characteristic in that 

 the young grasshoppers invaded the fields from the grassy or bushy 

 fence rows and destroyed all of the grain for a variable distance of one 

 to three, and in some cases ten rods, the middle portion of the field 

 being almost uninjured and comparatively free from the pests. A 

 noteworthy feature was the abundance of grasshoppers in the cities 

 of Gloversville, Saratoga and Glens Falls, in particular, especially the 

 first named. There were times when the insects were so numerous 

 that they were swept from the sidewalks and it was by no means 

 uncommon to see 15 to 25 or more on a limited portion of the outside 

 of a building or a fence. Complaints began to be received in early 

 June and by the middle of July the outbreak was at its height. 



Throughout the region there was a general feeling that it was com- 

 paratively useless for the individual to take up what seemed to be a 

 \ery uneven conflict. With the abo\ e conditions in mind a large scale 

 demonstration was started July 18 ^y the entomologist, in cooperation 

 with agents of the State Department of Agriculture. The Kansas 

 bait used so successfully elsewhere last year was employed and the 

 mixture distributed over a badly and uniformly infested twenty-acre 

 oat field, beginning about 10.30 in the morning, a good handful of the 

 bait as sown covering approximately two hundred square feet. The 

 distribution was so extended that one had to look closely in order to 

 find the bait. Observations showed that many grasshoppers began 

 to feed upon it within three or five minutes, and in some instances they 

 seem^ed to drop from the oats, probably being attracted by the smell 

 and^ gradually make their way to small particles of the mash. About 

 four hours after the first application a few sick grasshoppers were 

 observed here and there. At 6.30 the next afternoon, less than thirty- 

 six hours after the beginning of the treatment, three-fourths of the 

 grasshoppers in the field were dead or dying, 12 to 14 dead insects 

 being easily found on a square foot and frequently six or seven were 

 seen collected in small crevices as many inches long. Three days 

 after the application it was estimated that about four-fifths of the 

 grasshoppers were dead, 67 being found in one square foot and an 



