16,4 McGregor: Some Features of the Philippine Ornis 367 
prevent more frequent flights that might destroy everything 
green d® | 
When the locusts have been cooked, they are dried, packed in 
sacks or baskets, and saved for food. The wings, the legs, and 
the dorsal shield of the thorax are removed; and the heads and 
bodies are fried. I have eaten locusts but cannot say that I 
care for them. They seem to have little flavor except that of 
the added salt, pepper, and vinegar, while the chitinous substance 
in the body covering is disagreeable. It is much the same as 
eating shrimps without removing the shells. The females are 
said to be of especially fine flavor when the bodies are distended 
with eggs. Boiled and partly dried locusts are sold in the Manila 
markets whenever they can be caught nearby. 
Experiments in the destruction of this pest with bacterial 
disease of locusts have been made, but the results were not very 
satisfactory.^® Recently the use of poisonous gas after European 
war methods has been suggested, but the technic does not 
seem to have been perfected; and I have not learned whether 
“ Some idea of the numbers of the locusts can be gained from the 
following from Jones and Mackie, op. cit. ; 
Using large circular hand nets in Cebu “in one hour three men using 
these nets captured 12 cavans [1 cavan, or caban, equals 75 liters] of 
insects; also at Mandaue, Cebu, sixteen nets caught 57 cavans of voladores 
[fliers, that is, winged locusts] in five hours.” [p. 14.] 
“At Carcar, Cebu, eleven persons engaged in digging out egg clusters 
averaged about 125 liters (about six kerosene cans full) of egg clusters 
per day.” [p. 12.] 
“It is estimated that the pit method accomplished the destruction between 
June and October of upwards of 8,000 cavans of hoppers in Bohol, while 
within a very short space of time some 20,000 cavans were reported to 
have been destroyed in Iloilo, and the total amount for the Province of 
Cebu may be estimated anywhere between 10,000 and 25,000 cavans.” 
[p. 14.] 
“Wild birds, however, are of more importance than is generally believed 
for they, from the very first appearance of the young locusts as they 
issue from the ground, wage a continuous warfare upon the swarm.” 
These authors (p. 1^) consider the following to be “the most important 
locust destroyers” among Philippine birds; 
Otomela lucionensis (Linnaeus). Charadrius fulvus Gmelin. 
Bubulcus coromandus (Boddaert). Excalf actoria lineata (Scopoli). 
Halcyon gularis (Kuhl). 
Halcyon chloris (Boddaert). 
Alcedo hengalensis Gmelin. 
Numenius varie gains (Scopoli). 
Numenius arquatus (Linnaeus). 
Numenius cyanopus Vieillot. 
““See Barber, M. A., and Jones, C. R., Philip. Journ. Sci. § B 10 (1915) 
163-176. 
Turnix fasciata (Temminck). 
Gallus g alius (Linnaeus). 
Eurystomus orientalis (Linnaeus). 
Merops americamis P. L. S. Muller. 
Merops philippinus Linnaeus. 
