250 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 
swarms Hcveral hundred miles long and wide, and often a mile or more thick. They 
have heen seen passing at a great height over the highest peaks of the Rockies. Al- 
though there are hreeding grounds just north of Salt Lake and along the valley of 
Snake River, in Idaho, from which they sally west and southward, no instance is re- 
corded of their ever reaching the Sierra Nevada range. There are two other species 
of Caloplenug that arc also migratory and terribly destructive at times; the C. atlania 
or "lesser locust," and C. femur-rubrum, the "red-legged locust"; and these species 
heing of wider range have, perhaps, ravaged portions of California, hut the principal 
damage in our State has been done hy the culprit that is now menacing Sierra Valley, 
and which wo will proceed to name and describe. 
CEDIPODA ATKOX. 
The compound Greek word (Edipoda (accented on the second syllable with the short 
sound of i) means "swclled-leg," and refers to the large thigh of the hind or leaping 
legs. The specific name atrox means " atrocious," " cruel," "destructive," or " direful." 
This atrocious locust breeds all over the country from. Florida to Alaska annually, but 
does not often become so numerous as to be destructive. When forced to migrate for 
food they form vast swarms, reported (perhaps not this species) as "flying about 200 
feet high for the noon hours of two days over the city of Sacramento in 1855, resem- 
bling a snow storm. They destroyed half of the crops of Sacramento County." In 1877 
locusts (the (Edipoda atrox) ravaged the coast from Point Concepcion to Santa Barbara, 
their habits and mischief closely observed by the distinguished naturalist, Elwood 
Cooper, of Santa Barbara, who recommends deep plowing under of the eggs. He has 
completely averted the scourge by that means, while sowing on and harvesting crops 
as usual. The same year the damage iu Fresno County was $20,000. Great damage is 
reported in Fresno as early as 1856. The same year two swarms passed over the 
Big Trees into San Joaquin Valley, doing great damage. 
In 1859 locusts devastated the valley on the west side of Pitt and Fall Rivers (North- 
east California) ; covered the ground ; annoying to travelers and stock men. 
In 1862 and 1863 at Hornitos they came in June and July "like a glistening cloud ; 
ate the bark oft' of peach trees." 
In 1866 and 1S67 a swarm 15 miles wide passed over Stockton from the north, "so 
abundant that they filled a well." 
In 1869 they visited Tulare County from the southwest in May and June ; staid three 
weeks, eating grain and grapes. 
In 1873 they migrated to Southern California, doing great damage. The last rav- 
ages, in 1877, have been stated. 
The species doing the injury in the cases is unknown, for want of care in preserving 
specimens and in descriptions; most probably they were true migratores, as atlanis and 
femur-rubrum. The locust of 1877 was the (Edipoda atrox. which of late, for some as 
yet mysterious reason, has become numerous and migratory to a limited extent. 
As stated by eye-witnesses, ours have come by easy stages from the northward, en- 
tering Sierra Valley from Clover and Last Chance Valleys, and at first deposited but 
few eggs. Theeggs are about the size of small, slightly curved rice kernels of a light 
huff color. They are deposited during the latter part of the season, from July to Sep- 
tember, in sunny exposures, at a depth of half an inch to an inch, in nests or pockets 
of ahout 28 eggs each. The female is supposed to make several deposits — three or 
four — and then perishes. Neither male nor female of this species lives through the 
winter. The earliest laid eggs hatch first, about May 10th. Hatching continues all 
the forepart of summer. The insect, while yet in the omnion or sheath, wriggles itself 
to the surface of the ground, where first the pelticle gives way to pressure beneath in 
the region of the hack and neck. The head emerges, then the antennae and limbs, all 
very soft and white. In a few minutes the little rogue, now black and shining, with 
stiff legs and a fierce look, hops off in search of something to eat — and trouble begins. 
