, 1879-10-04
Locust Scourgc in Sierra Valley.

The locust scourge IN the Sierra valley
for the year 1879, exceeds all former ex-
perience. Some large sections lave been
entirely denuded, while scarce a ranch
has escaped injury, more or less. Early
in May, the few hard, dry, gravelly knobs
where eggs had been deposited the year
before, began to TEEN with little black,
active grasshoppers, and the stricken in
habitants could but witness with helpless
dismay their rapid growth and extension,
as they alternately feasted upon the grow
ing crops for few days, then hung them
selves up by the hind legs to bare stalk
to undergo the mysterious process of
moulting, from which they issued twice
larger and fiercer than before.
So dispiriting and saddening has been
the effect of the scourge that the afflicted
ranehman dislike to talk about it A; it is to
them the re-opening Of the grave of buried
hopes SD We must from pity forbear to
question them for the cold, crushing sta
tlstics. Silently l swing my net over
stubble fields and sharen meadows, cap
ture grasshoppers of every species, exam
ine with magnifier the minute distinctive
characters, determine the species, pm
specimens for preservation and future re-
ference to the cork floors of cigar boxes,
and note with Joy the various parasites
that are infesting them
The red silky mite, so eagerly wished
for lasG spring, is here in great abundance,
almost every locust in some sections be-
ing loaded with them, especially at the
base and under the wings So IS the
Taehina fly chasing swiftly after the hop
ping or fly locust, darting upon 1t and de-
posting an egg, which speedily matches,
gnaws the way through the joints of the
abdomen to the interior, becomes a large
many legged masgot, swelling ont the
body of the locust, and eating It's viscera
fore and aft, unit! weak and encumbered,
the victim falls and dies. The Gordina,
or hair worm, too, is here, and several
other undetermined parasites, all seeming
to riot upon the abundant food. A con-
genor of the atrocious locust himself, a
little yellow cricket about the same size,
but ten times spryer, Is seen to vigorously
attack the locust on foot or flying, To
bring him down, and instantly cutting 1tf
his head, devours morsel, then twirls
his antenna about and cocks his eyes for
another victim. And this warfare upon
the locusts, a fierce onslaught from foes
seen and unseen, by day and by night,
from the egg, to the adult, Is about the
only feature of the locust scourge that Is
enjoyed by our citizens.
And what of the futurel When will
the visitation cease, or Is It oyerpast The
female locusts have been noted In vast
numbers ovipositing in gravel beds, IN
dry knolls of the meadows, and III the
sands under the sage bushes Of the com
mon. Those beginning this work early III
the season-in July-it is feared laid per
feet eggs and secured them well those
later, because So often found dead at their
work it is hoped were prevented from pro-
ducing perfect eggs, or from protecting
them by gummy secretlons from injuries
by winter vicissitudes- The eggs when
first d tposited are small, about thrce-slx-
teenths of an inch long, and So crowded
in the egg pouch that they become hexa-
gona!, but they grow by spring to the size
Of rice kernels, and are plump cylinders
Like the growth of ants eggs, and OF GER
tain other insects, this growth Of insect
eggs, often to % or 100 times the original
size, is a profound mystery. Of the
mode Of Matching, the disrobing of the
amnion by the little infant locust, Its
after moulting, its early habits, etc, L
have oIven ycur readers the result of Oh
servation and correspondence in former
communications. Ill health and botanical
pursuits prevent extensive examination OF
the subject now, l can only give few
hints to guide others who may have the
leisure and means to follow up this, one
of the most interesting and momentous
topics of the day, as concerns agriculture