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About Nebraska herald. (Plattsmouth, N.T. [Neb.]) 1865-1882 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1877)
IKE WIASSHOi'i'ER QUESTION. imported Observation on the Kinky rest of the West. BV PROFESSOR C. V. K1LKY. Si tui lite Scientific American, In a few weeks the ravages of the ii.xky Mountain locust (coloptenus suretus) will in all probability, be cre ating more attention than ever, as the Hrea threatened by the young insects s larger than ever before, beginning m southeastern Dakota, including- the Southwestern half of Minnesota, the Western half, of Iowa, 4 counties in X orthwest and 12 in Southwest Mo douri, Benton county in Arkansas. I-exas from that point to the mouth of the Sabine River, thence along the Guif to Austin, and more or les3 all the country west of these points to the Mountains. In view of this probabil ity, the following observations, which aie largely extracted from my ninth leport, now going through the press, and which are here recorded for the nrst time, will doubtless prove of inter-e.-l to your large circle of readers: I propose to follow them with results of a seiies of experiments on the eggs and the young insects, with a view of most effectually destroying them .which ex periments these observations will ren der more intelligible. JjOVH the female fokm moke than one ego mass. "Whether the female of our liocky Mountain locust lays her full supply of e;g3 at once, and in one and the same hole, or whether she forms several pods at different periods, are questions oft en acked but which have never- been fully.and definitely answered in entom ological" works. It is the rule with in sects, especially with the large num ber of injurious species belonging to the lepidoptera, that the eggs in the ovaries develop almost simultaneously and that when oviposition once com mences it is continued uninterruptedly till the supply of eggs is exhausted. Yet there are many notable exceptions to the rule among injurious species, as in the cases of the common plum cur culio and the Colorado potatoe beatle, which oviposit at stated or irregular intervals during several weeks or even months. The Rocky Mountain locust belongs to this last category; and the most casual examination of the ovaries in a female taken in the act of ovipos iting will shovr that, besides the fully formed esg3 being then laid there are other sets, deminishing in size, which are to be laid at future periods. This, I repeat, can be determined by any one who will take the trouble to examine a few females when laying. But just how often, or how many eggs each one lavs, is more difficult to determine. "With zpretiis, I have been able to make comparatively few experiments, but on three different occaasions I obtain- ed two pods from single females, laid j at intervals of IS, 21, and 25 days re spectively. I have, however, made extended experiments with its close congeners c?i ur rvbritni and Atlanis and in two cases with the former have obtained four different pods from one female, the laying covering puioJs of 58 and 02 days, and the total number of eggs laid being iu one case U8, and in tho othtr 110. A number of both species laid threo times, but most of them owing prehaps to their being confined laid but twice. They couple with the male between each period and I have no doubt but that, as iu inoist other species of animals, there is groat difference in the degree of indi vidual prolificacy. I hare frequently counted upward of a hundred ova in the ovaries of .-prettis and as the largest nd most Perfect pod3 seldom contain more than :5 irty, we may feel confident that the Rocky Mountain locust will somotime3 form as many as four pod.?, and pre haps even still more. T?:etime required for drilling the hole and corapleteing the pod will vary according to the season and the tem perature. During the latter part of October, or early in Xovember last year, when there was frost at night and the insects did not arouse from their chilled inactivity till ciocs a. M. tne females scarce had time to complete the process during the five warmer hours of the day; but with higher temperature not more than, t'.vo or three hours would Le required. HOW THE IXGS A uK LAID. The question as to how best to treat the soil or to manage tha c-ggs so r.3 to in .sl easily destroy their vitality, is a ni'jst important and practical one; m.d as ssriistiug to a decisive answer, I have carried on a series of experiments which, will be presently detailed . To make the experiments the wore inel igible,. I will Hrst &ive the reader a deeper insight into the philoiophy f tlie processes cf e;:g-laving and of hatching tha'i I have hitherto done, a nt thin the more readily thai it has never been given by any other author I have already explained how, by means of the homy valves at tha end of her alnJouien the fmaio dri!l3 a cyl indrical h'jle in the ground iu which to consign her eggs. The curved abdo men stretches to its utmost for this purpose, and the hole is generally a lit tl.i curved and is always more or less oblique. If we could m:iij:-ige to watch a fciaals during th arduous work of ovip,-)3?;i:)g, we should find that, when the hole is once drilled, there commenc es to exude at tha dorsal end of the ab domen, from a iir of sponge t.x. seriUe organs that are normally retract ed and hidden beneath the super-aaal plate- near tho cerci, a frothy mucuous matter. -which 'ills up the bottom of the hole. '1 h- n. with two pair;, of valves brought close together, an egg would be seen to slip down the oviduct along the ventral end of the abdomen trd, guided by a little, finger like style pass ia betwteu the horny valvcSi which are admirably construe :td, not enly for drilling, but tor Lcldir.g and ccaductiEg ly incases evary part of tho body. TIiis tie ssi to its approbate pUcc), and. 1 it dees in tte course of .tires cr four issuo at their tips amid the mucuous fluid already spoken of. Then follows a period of convulsions, during which more mucuous material is elaborated, until the whole end of the body is bath ed in it when another egg passes down and is placed in position. These alter nate processes continue until the full complement of eggs are in place, the number ranges from 20 to 35, but av eraging about 28. The mucuous mat ter binds all the eggs in a mass, and when the last is laid the mother de votes some time to filling up the some what narrower neck of the burrow with a compact and cellulose mas3 of some material, which though light and easily penetrated, i3 more or less im pervious to water, and forms a very excellent protection. PHILOSOPHY OF THE KOO MASS. To the casual observer the eggs of our locust appear to be thrust indis criminately in the hole made for their reception. A more careful study of the egg mass or egg pod will, show, however, that the female- took great pains to arrange them, not only so as to economize as much space as pcssible consistent with the forx of each egg, but so as to best facilitate the escape of the young locust; for as the bottom eggs were the first laid, and are gener ally the first to hatch, their issue would in their efforts to escape, disturb and injure the other eggs, were there no provisions against such a possibility. The eggs are, indeed, most carefully placed side by side in four rows, each row generally containing seven. They oblique a little crosswise of the cylin der. The posterior or narrow end which issues first from the oviduct is thicken ed and generally shows two palo rings around the darker tip. This is pushed close against the bottom of the burrow, which, being cylindrical, doe3 not per mit th3 outer or two side rows to be pushed quite as far down as the two in ner ones; and for the very same reason the upper or head ends of the outer rows are necessarily bent to the same extent over the inner rows the eggs when laid being somewhat soft and plastic. There is consequently, an ir regular channel along the top of the mass which is filled only w '.th the same frothy matter which surrounds each egg, and occupies all the space in the burrow not occupied by the eggs. HOW THE YOrxo LOCUST ESCAPES FROM THE EGG. Carefully examined, the egg shell is found to consist of two layers. Tiie outer layer, which is thin, sorai-opaque, and give.3 the pale cream-yellow color, is seen, by aid of a high magnifying power, to be densely, minutely, and shallowly pitted, or, to use still more exact language, the whole surface is netted with minute and more or less irregular, hexagonal ridges. The inner laye ; is thicker, of a deeper yellow, and perfectly smooth. It is also translu cent, so that, as the hatching period ap proaches, the form and members of the embryon may be distinctly discerned through it. The outer covering is more easily ruptured and i3 rendered all the more fragile by freezing; but the inner covering is so very tough that a very strong pressure between one's thumb and finger is required to burst it. How, then, will the embryon. which fills it so completely that there is scarcely room for motion, succeed in escaping from . such a prison? The rigid s'del of the bird's egg is easily cracked by the beak of its tenant; the hatching caterpillar, curled within its egg shell, has room enough to move its jaws and eat its way out; tho egg coverings of many in sects are so delicate and frail that the mere swelling of the embryon affords means of escape, those of others so con structed that a door flies open or a lid lift3 up by a spring, whenever pressure is brought to bear; in some, two halves open, as in the shell of a muscle; whilst in a host of others the embryon is fur nished with a spe.'ial s! rue-lure, called the egg burster, the office of w hich is to cut or rupture the shell, and. thus liberate it3 occupant. But our young locust is deprived of all such contriv ances, and must use another mode of exit froai its tough and sub-elastic pris on. Nature accomplishes the same e d in many different ways. She is" rich in contrivances. Every one who has been troubled by it must have noticed that the shanks (tibiae) of our locust, as of all the members of itWamily, are armed with spines. On tho four ante rior legs these spines are inside the shanks; on the long, posterior legs out side. The spines of the hind shanks are strongest, and the terminal ones, on all legs.st roiige-r than the rest. There can ba no doubt that the?e spines serve to give a firm hold to the insect in walking or jumping; but they have first served a more important pre-natal purpose. Y hen fullv formed, the embryo is seen to lie within its shell. The anten na; over the face and between the jaws, which are early developed, and with their sharp black teeth, n ar;h on to the breast. The legs arc folded upon the breast, the strong terminal hook3 on the hind shanks reaching toward the mosoternum. XiW, the hatching consists of a se ries of undulating contractions and ex pansions of the several joints of the body, and with this motion there is slight but constant friction of the tips of the jaws and of the sharp tips of the '.ibial spines, as also of the tarsal claws of all the leg?, against the shell, which eventually weakens bet ween the points and finally gives way there. It then easily splits to the eyes or beyond, by the swelling of the head. Ily the s:ime undulating movements the nascent larva soon works itself en irely out of the egg, when it easily makes its way along the channel already described without in the last interfering with the other eggs, aud finally forces a passage way up through the mucuous tilling in the neck of the burrow. Orve fully es caped from the soil, it rests from it3 exertions, but for a short time only. Its task is by no means caiaplete; be fore it can feed or .novo with alacritr, it must nolt a pellicle which complete - minutes, or even less, by a continuance of the same contracting and expanding movements which freed it from the earih, and which now burst the skin on the back of the head. The body is then gradually worked from its deli cate covering until the last of the hind legs is free, and the exuvium remains, ; generally near the point where the an imal issued from the ground, as a -little, white crumpled pellet. Tale and colorless at first, the full born insect assumes its dark gray coloring in the course of half an hour. From this ac count of the hatching process, we can readily understand why the female in ovipositing prefers comract or hard soil to that which is loose. The harder and less yielding the walls of the bur row, the easier will the young locust crowd its way out. The covering which envelopes the little animal when first it issues from the shell, though quite delicate, un doubtedly affords protection in the struggles of birth from the burrow; and it is an interesting fact that, while it is shed within a few minutes of the time when the animal reaches the free air, it is seldom shed if, from one cause or other, there is failure to escape from the soil, though the young locust may be struggling for days to effect an es cape. While yet enveloped in this pellicle the young animal.'posesses great forcing and pushing power, and, if the soil be not too compact, will frequently force a direct passage through the same to the surface. 13 ut it can make little or no headway, except through the ap propriate channel where the soil is at all compressed. "While crowding its way out, the antenna; and four front legs are held in much the same posi tion as within the egg, the hind legs being generally stretched. Uut the members bend in every conceivable way, and where several are endeavor ing to work through any particular pas sage the amount squeezing and crowd ing they will endure is remarkable. Yet if, by chance, the protecting pelli cle is worked off before issuing from the ground, the animal loses all power of further forcing its way out. Fred, border's Implement Emporium Till I'D STKEET, NORTH OF MAIN. Is the place to buy every kind of Agricultural Implement SULKY GANG PLOW, of the Chicago Plow Co.; STANDARD NEW RI DING CULTIVATOR, of Rod: ford, III.; NEW MONITOR, Check Row) CORN PLANTEIi; CHAMPION and other CELEBRATED HARROWS 'Harrison and 'Fella Wagons, SINGLE and COMBINED REAPERS and MOWERS, (Neio Manny, Champion, a?id others.) WOODS' REAPER, MOWER, AND HARVESTER, with Self-Binding attachment.) TIIE VIBRATOR. THRESHING 3IACI1INE, Nicholts, Sheppard & Co. Satisfaction Guaranteed or no Sale. Fit ED. G011DEU, Oif.ce in J. V. n't'ekbach's Store, coi ner -Vain anil Third Street''. BUY THE "NEW"-AMERICAN SErwrnsro- MACHnsrE. 55 s X. 9 Fopest Tas For Throat. Lungs. Asthma, and Kldaeys. Forest Tar Solution, ft or Inhalation for Catarrh, Consumption, liroi-cliUis, nd Ablbuia. Forest Tar Troches, orPcre Throat, Hoarseness, Tickling Couga and Purifying the BreatU. rorest Tas Salve, k or Healinc Indolent Sores, Ulcers, Cuts, Born. 9 and lor Plica. Forest Tar Soap, or Chapped Hands. Salt Ilaeum, Siiln Diseases, Uie Toilet and UaUt. crest Tar Bnhaters, or Inhaling f or Catarrh, Consumption, Asthma. For Sale ty mil Druggists. This Machine is Offered to the Public Upon its Merits Alone. Its LiyM aud Still Running Qualities, and its Self-Threading Needle and Self-Regulating Tensions, make it the Moat Desirable Machine in the world. I'll A NK CA RR UTH, JE WELER, AGENT, PLATTSMOUTII, NEBRASKA. frencml Jf'estcrn Office D. A. KEN YON, Manager, 212 Douglas Street, LmaIia, Ve!. 4ml THERE IS MONEY IN IT! izsci rc:a zzsctticit, &Z3 r:i rz2::sA2is. Special Maceiaeiits to the Trade. AGE1TT3 WANTED Everywlicro fur the AKD SHOE X kWm--: SEWING iSfe MACHINES Eeton Prlc-, $73.:o. THEY ABE THE Simplest, I.thtost Running, Best 5Iade and Most tollable tewing Machines in tha world. Cut this out and remember it.) T ' M Serisg L'achfcB Co,, 203 C 'iGa Vi'abx.b Ave., Giicago, Fjx &.:lz ur THI PARKER GUN. SEND STAMP FOR CIRCULAR PARKER BROS WEST MER1DEN.CT. s- - 5 r " T z-. f -i c " z. m ' v c 2 & " rs S n; 2 K 2" ' j 5; K 1 1 li i ill I 2 a" rtfW4'Z x"" S'tfi? rv. , W5 A IWfTTHT' 4p liiigHiitOIsliiglliif - - Till: LAKGE3T AND BEST SELECTED STOCK OE hai coiiie huine, And he has brought the finest line of Dress Goods, Staple Goods, Fancy Goods and Notions you ever saw. rJP say BaotlBiBBg f grceafies by lilac acrc5. . feit and slfies till yM caia5! west hats anal cap till yia isaaisi tony. Spring and Summer Goods ever and ever so cheap. Now is your cbauce bound to soli and under sell most anybodv. Come quick. Hurry "U, I want to go East again next month. GOODS SOLD WITHOUT ARBITRATION 1 Ti 7" to 8 or 8 to 7 just as you like, audi lie cala Is always cMEafei omt fm9 is bi laaflBBBf latisfi at the m B H I Si li m 3 il &m a s M n H 51 UM H H xLM U HP E-iJ m- A i. t ff 1 Cr prw i"3 9 l f -1 r 1 k F1 StllFP f t-K t J KA M r l bi ti 51 As it is generally our custom to pve yJU our ju ices for goods so l!i;it you can calculate at home what you can buy for your money, we will give you iicp.s below whieli will be lower t'lan ever and 10 pvr cent, cheaper th;in you can any where in this City or State. We have the advantage of any merchant in this city buying direct from tho manufacLUiers. V.'e hava opened a Wli-jlestale Store i.i St. Josei!i 3Ie., v. i.ifli will be attended by Mr. Solomon. 12 10 20 yards prints for one dollar. " " Brown and Lleacli muslin, one dollar, 151 in; and brown denims, one dollar. I Jed ticking, one dollar. Cheviot, one doilar. Crass Cloth, one doll;'!-. Malt Shaties, one dollar. Table Linen, one dollar. Crash Toweling, one dollar. 4 LOOK AT OCIi PJIICE id' : Slimmer Sliav is. 7-c up. Handkerchiefs, ;i for e. Ladies Silk Handkerchier, 'jjc each. Ladies Hose, i pair for ?5c. Men's Socks rc up. CulTs and Collars, 23c a sel, and i:p. J'ed Spreads, one dollar up. Ccrstts, jood, Ctic up. As it is impossible to give the prices of our enormous Press TOMys hBmt&mmm Ik o we will only state that it is the largest and linest stock ever biuiiglit to this city and consisting of the follow in new styles Pop! ins, Double Silk Pongees Japanese Silks, Matelasse Zephyr Suitings, Lawns, Grenadines, and Percahis, at prices ranjrin- from 15' cts. up; also a fine line of IIAMUUllO KMIlItOlDEIH LS from 5 cents up. LIXLX EMlillOIDERIES to match our LIXEX DRESS (JOODS. A full assortment of i;!X!iLE J'RTX 1 i aiul evervthinj belonging to A. FIBST CLASS A .t s t & i r. 9 J-1 la L U 2. A .. il - j V.'e ;dso keep a full li.;c of SB n Tt.-r " "p fT O iJ P n o aa' azszzGue Unto kit izhzZtt u 'kV-ixzid:M from 84.H0 up Tor whole suits. Jeans Rants from 6 !.: up. An unexcelled line. CENTS !TRX11HX COOIK, line While Shirts up; C;dieo Shirts, 40 cts. up; Che iot Sbiils, 50 cts. up; Overalls. c cts. up ; IMjht Ccll.'.rs Hats, T5e up; Caps, 10c up; Roots, :-2 per pair up; Shoes. 81 per pair up: TRt'XIC and V A LI SI'S, a '.rod a.-,-sortment. We ilo not keep a little of evorvt hirur. from an Axe Handle to a barrel "f a!t. i ut what we do cniiv wo have in fall and comnlete stork. JEWELRY, ELATED WARE, CLOCKS. TARLE and ROCKET Cl'TiaER V. etc. I t We have an Accomplished, Eashionblo Lady Trimun-r who understands the bii.-'iov tli i ouudi'y an 1 ( .40 svil 1 your l.UMte.,; also a full line of SILK TRLMMIXUS, Ribbns, Eh;v. vrs ;t..l Oroaue-nts. Sash Ribl oo ; from :)- up; La-lie:; 'l'. ..I If., to Ct1 ,.t,,1 .111 Wp l.:ivr !i bir.T ,.,-t. ,1,!, I -.(,,'.- i ' v :.-.. Vi -r :'i ! ea ' ed Can! !I;!rd. 'ei'livrr. T'.'-hv; il t lllllll V. VI 11,11. t, . r.v I....V ...... .....I ...j. kv. ..... ... - - . A - . , Needles. Mottoes, and Silk Floss of all shades. All immense stock of Carpets. Oil ( io-h. Rc-s ami 'J, its. jrimj. Carpe:., Sjr -t aid; Li;;:a.:i i.avi-: It. per yard. Stamlard Carj'et Chain, 5 il bundles only 81.5. We have also, for the accommodat ion of our fi .ends, added to our a! ready ext. ! .-,; j assortment a lar4'; M-jck cf Oil Wimlow Shades in all colors. Lace Window Ci.riains cts cr yard. We present our annual price list satisfied that our custom. -rs wiil we th it we e.m do l etter for tJain loan ever beforeaud tliankful for pa.-t patronage we unt resii'-ct i i.ii v a.-.k a coniin-iance of tht- same. RhiUsmouth, Nebraska, March '? - d. 1S77. SL V. Lv, ( hAillAN 1 n rail ana complete stoeK. jlii j.iiUi, ii.ir.it .ii-., i i.ut.o, 1 .iii. ..:m . v vl ii-i..ii,v iff Wflllliaei3r TjTiep-a.FijfiaeEfitl" We would inform the ladies of IMattMnouth and vicinity t!::;t we are in receipt of the the flrast PqHasti Hacsflc and p!Artnrfc ilirpnl from PgpIq ww )(')( ) KM m m )OJtj5r,Uci.k.;. C?"it ! 1 1 1 I 1 1 PEALR'' -AAr ALL KNR-; !' H 1 1 N ' U ! i-F3 M W N U n M N 1 .j'i. including the greatest variety of beautiful colored shoes lor children ever brought to this market. To be closed out at i mm mmm mm mm mm mmi- l shall continue to keep the best of workmen in my man ufacturing department. r til till iflidaaa. ,.vr- "K-:.tA-i viii,r iv fa-t-k Jolia Baer & Go:s Mi Gug Flows, i!.vi;:ii'0KT i'o."s su.ows, Weir Cuiiivaloi s, Check Rows. And oerjUdo.- that a r.:m.tv may lied. Ite-pairs en hand ior ali Hiichincry toici br in.
