42 
nor did I see any of these locusts paired, nor were any engaged in lay- 
ing their eggs. On the 10th of August, accompanied by Mr. F. Y. M. 
Hudson, of Acampo, and one of his hired men, I spent the greater por- 
tion of the day in searching for the eggs of this locust in the above- 
mentioned and neighboring fields of tarweeds, but did not succeed in 
obtaining any. This fact, coupled with the farther fact that while 
studying this and other species of locusts in Merced County in the 
year 1885 I neither saw the Devastating Locusts paired nor did I ob- 
serve them laying their eggs during all the time that I observed them, 
extending from the first week in June to the first week in August, and 
that I did not witness either of these operations during the present in- 
vestigation which extended over the first three weeks in August, makes 
it almost certain that this species is single brooded and that the eggs 
are laid some time during the fall of the year, probably not before the 
month of October. All the testimony goes to prove that these locusts 
hatch out very early in the spring. Several intelligent observers in- 
formed me that they had seen the young locusts in immense numbers 
early in April and that these began to acquire wings early in May. 
The following from the Folsom Weekly Telegraph of May 9, 1891, in- 
dicates how early in the year these locusts appeared in that locality the 
present season : 
GRASSHOPPERS COMING. 
Grasshoppers have appeared in the vicinity of this place. They seemed to come 
suddenly and from where no one knows. Millions of them are destroying everything 
they can get hold of, and considerable alarm is felt over their appearance and the 
result of their visit. They came too late to do any great amount of damage to the 
hay crop, which is nearly all in. Other things will surely suifer unless they disap- 
pear. Those that are here are, from what we can learn, very small, hut they are 
voracious and have done a great deal of damage already. A few years ago they vis- 
ited the State and caused great damage. There was no way to combat them. We 
hope the alarming reports regarding them are exaggerated. 
The editor of the " Telegraph" informed me that he sent the above as 
a telegram to the Sacramento Bee on the 5th of May, which would put 
the coming of the locusts at a somewhat earlier date than the one given 
above. 
Hatching out so early in the season and acquiring wings as early as 
the month of May, it appears somewhat singular that these locusts 
should not become fully matured and deposit their eggs until nearly six 
months later in the season. The fact, however, that among the migrat- 
ing swarms I found very pale-colored specimens that had not yet 
become sufficiently mature to attain their normal dark coloring as 
late as the middle of August, indicates that the species is very slow in 
maturing even after acquiring wings. The destructive Rocky Moun- 
tain Locust (Melanoplus spretus Uhler), which has as yet never been 
found in this State, is known to be single brooded in its permanent 
breeding grounds. 
