The locust plague and its suppression / by Æneas Munro.

  • Munro, Aeneas.
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The locust plague and its suppression / by Æneas Munro. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    necessity or opportunity or inclination or ability for doing so. I trust therefore to be the means in this case cjf arousing or awakening a new interest regarding an almost wholly unknown subject. While a small percentage of my readers, who have given some special attention to this matter, will bear out what I say, and perhaps support me in the difficult task I have undertaken, namely, to lay before the public in a clear and intelligent way, in language that the great body of the people can understand, not only what we know of the insect, but also all the chief means in vogue for checking its progress, if not exterminating the pest altogether, there are or may be a still smaller number to whom I may not be able to advance anything new, or may not even cover the field as known to them. If such be the case, I can only •trust that these will see I have tried to do my best in laying the whole subject, so far as I know it or thought wise to state it, in a popular way before the public, in order to bring our knowledge of the matter to a focus. If they will favour me with any additional information bearing on the subject, I shall be most happy to insert the same should a ■subsequent opportunity present itself of my having this in my power. If the duty of elucidating the subject and adding new facts to our knowledge fall into other and abler hands, then my humble effort will not have been lost, and in fact it will so far be successful if it call forth the ability of other workers. 22. This work the first on the subject.—My object thus is to give first an accurate and fair entomological view of the insect and its habits, and then the means that have been chiefly relied on for ■combating the pest which now periodically pays a visit to certain parts which may be called its temporary homes—a guest which has in very truth become a plague. So far as I am aware there is no work dealing fully with the subject published. I have made careful inquiry regard- ing this matter, and can find, I may say, nothing. 23. Research employed.—In breaking new ground, discretion is needed, for in a subject of this kind it is easy to run on into irrelevant and endless descriptions, such as one constantly sees given in the news- papers, by those who are tempted to write on any of the many bristling points connected with this many-sided inquiry. It is nevertheless true that in a work of this kind it is not only necessary but blame- worthy if all the sources of information available to us are not tapped, so that in this way, it is hoped, a complete view of the subject shall be presented to the reader. For this purpose extracts will be made and acknowledged from published accounts, as well as from numerous correspondents. To acquire an accurate knowledge of the life-history and habits of the insect is of the first importance, for it is on this knowledge that the various recommendations affecting its subjugation and extermination must be based. It has been given to man at the
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