47 
I 
} regret in their annihilation; I neglected to obtain a good supply 
f specimens, while they might have been secured by the wagon 
)ad.” 
Commenting upon the foregoing statements in the Chinch-Bug 
bulletin, already mentioned, Dr, Thomas remarks: “Although the 
lague among the bugs in this instance appears to have been some¬ 
what extraordinary, yet it is in accordance with "facts ascertained in 
eference to other insects, and as Dr. Shimer is both a competent 
nd reliable authority, we accept his statement as correct, and 
elieve with him that it was owing as the originating cause to the 
amp season. But we are inclined to believe that the moisture gave 
ise to a minute fungus as the direct cause of the death of the 
hinches./ I recollect very distinctly of a similar wholesale destruc- 
ion of house-flies in Southwestern Virginia and East Tennessee in 
849, by an epidemic. So rapidly was the disease propagated, and 
o great the destruction among the flies, that the utmost caution in 
ooking and drinking water was necessary. Every moist spot was 
overed with the dead and dying. This I am satisfied was caused 
y a fungus. I observed a somewhat similar epidemic prevailing 
mong the grasshoppers in Western Minnesota, Dakota and North- 
ra Iowa, in 187A All over the plains the dead were seen clasping 
he stems of grass and weeds, and before I was aware of this fact 
lore than once I approached cautiously to capture a desired speci- 
len, only to find it dead and rigid. In 1877 the rainy season evi- 
ently caused an immense destruction of the larvae of Caloptenus- 
oretus .” 
My own observations upon this interesting subject began on the 
d of August, 1882, at which time I commenced an examination of 
le fluids of the bodies of specimens of various ages and from vari- 
us situations, with a view to familiarizing myself with their appear- 
nce in the normal condition of the insect, in order that I might be 
ble afterwards readily to detect any departures from that condition 
r hich circumstances should develop. On the 5th of August, upon 
rushing some chinch-bugs under a cover upon a microscope slide, 
nd fdiluting the fluids with freshly distilled water, I found them 
ften swarming with minute rod-like bodies, which I took to be 
I acteria, sometimes forming small adherent masses. Careful exam- 
lation under a power of 1,000 diameters showed that these rods 
ere usually formed of two, and sometimes four, oval particles, 
flned end to end. Hundreds would often cross the field of view in 
minute. In order to determine whether these bacteria occurred 
I the circulating fluid or in some other part of the body, I cut off 
le legs and head of a specimen in a small quantity of distilled 
ater upon a slide, allowing the blood to escape. The quantity of 
le fluid was, however, highly diluted, and I could find but two 
acteria. Crushing the remainder of the body of this specimen as 
sual, bacteria were present, but not abundant. On the 7th of 
ugust I repeated this observation several times, with results 
lentical in every particular with those just detailed, except that 
le bacteria were much more abundant in some of the insects than 
i others. Appreciating the possibility of the infection of the fluids 
cammed from outside sources, I used every precaution to disinfect 
II the tools and materials with which I worked. The water with 
hich the fluids of the cliinch-bug w r ere diluted had been freshly 
