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.

    42/388 page 18
    54. Difficulty in gleaning- information.—If I were to ask not only the oldest person in the country, or even the person who has lived here the longest and travelled the most, or the oldest living person born in this country, as to any exact data about even the times or periods when locusts formerly visited this country, as they have done for the last two or three years, or how many years consecutively they came, or how long more or less they remained each year, or when they pre- cisely appeared and when they departed each season, or if they came one year earlier than they did another, and if they change in colour or have different habits one year or season as compared with another, I am pretty sure the answers to these and similar questions would be very unsatisfactory, if not meagre and negative and full of contrariety, from any ten persons to whom they might be addressed. All this we must fully and freely acknowledge, because it is the truth. The record- ing of facts and the influence of the press in every part of the civilised world are doing an immense amount of good. We are accumulating data and making progress. What we do not know now in reference piles of the Acridian are usually formed about some clump or bush of vegetation as a nucleus. During cold weather and at night they do not move, but cling closely to all kinds of vegetation and to each other, as most of us have seen them do in invaded districts during a pampero or a very cold night. When the sun shines brightly and there is little or no wind, they move about to some extent, and even eat a little. The rule, though, during winter seems to be that comparatively little food of any kind is taken by them. On opening hundreds of individuals during the months of July and August for the purpose of watching for the development of eggs, it was invariably the case that they were found quite empty.” But there seems to be in his mind some doubt, for while from the paragraph preceding the one quoted above, it is clear that locusts now for the present winter between 28 and 32 degrees south latitude, or all along the 30th parallel, yet on p. 18 he says, “ These invading swarms are usually composed of insects that have wintered as Voladoras in the ‘Chaco,’ as is the almost general belief here in Argentina.” And again, in his conclusion (p. 88), he says, “There remain some important facts connected with the insect’s life which should be definitely settled before reliable predictions can be made relative to future movements and possible injuries. Some of these are connected with its movements, wintering, egg-laying, possible per- manent origin, distribution, etc. Many of these facts can be obtained by the accu- mulation of reports from volunteer observers located throughout the regions at times visited by the moving mangas of locusts. These reports can be sent to some central point, and the facts there tabulated to be studied later. The knowledge now pos- sessed roughly indicates what may be looked for later, but is still indefinite on a few important points in the insect’s life-history.” Throughout this excellent Report there is, however, not any proof as to actual observation of the wintering or home habits. Mr. Bruner’s view as to these “ piles” is more rational than is usual by its advocates, namely, that they surround or attach themselves in heaps to a clump of vegetation as a nucleus ; but to say that they cluster in such heaps as to resemble our ordinary “haycocks,” as some say, requires a straining of the imagination or intellect that I for one cannot credit without further and better information. And indirect confirmation of my view can be obtained from Mr. Bruner’s data.
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