o7 
from their relatives. When these mites fastened to locusts be- 
come fully grown they drop to the ground, and hide for sev: 
eral weeks without taking any food. Gradually the pupal state 
is assumed, without going through a molt, as would be the 
case if mites were true insects. Inside this pupa, shown in fig. 
324, b, the mature mite is formed. Breaking through the re- 
taining pupal skin it appears as an eight-legged being, which 
passes the winter in the ground. But the mite is not idle, ex- 
cepting when the temperature sinks below the freezing point. 
It feeds upon all sorts of soft food, and whenever it has access 
to the eggs of locusts it greedily eats them. In soil containing 
eggs of locusts large numbers of these mites congregate. They 
creep into every hole in search of such eggs and thrive upon 
such rich food. 
Last summer many mites of this kind were found fastened to 
locusts, both of the native and the migratory species. They 
have doubtless done much good and will do more in 1896. The 
great advantage of plowing over all other remedies is also seen 
in regard to these red mites, as the plowing of fields in which 
eggs of locusts have been deposited will destroy the young lo- 
custs hatchiug from them, but not the mites, which can easily 
work their way towards the surface. Plowing destroys our 
enemies but not our friends. 
Tachina-flies.—These beneficial flies, already mentioned, are 
generally of a gray color, and resemble very much large house- 
flies; they are of great assistance in killing locusts. Large 
numbers of them were observed last summer, not as often in 
their winged stage, however, as in their early larval stage in- 
side the body of the locust. Yet many were seen buzzing 
around the wide-awake locusts, who seemed to know the threat- 
ening danger, as they would dodge the flies in the most ridicu- 
lous manner. But all dodging and kicking proved in most cases 
of no avail, as the persevering flies would usually succeed in 
fastening a white, elongated egg upon the neck of the hopper, 
or under its wings. The maggots hatching from such eggs eat 
their way into the body of the victim. Here they devour ev- 
erything, frequently leaving, however, the vital organs uno- 
touched, as being, very likely, less tender than the fatty parts 
stored up for the formation of future organs. If fully grown 
