Grasshoppers in the Northwest.-The dreaded grasshopper (Caloptenus spretus) made another raid, during August, 1876, over a portion of the territory previously devastated by them. The abstract of returns to the Department of Agriculture support Riley's theory that these pests operate westward of the 17th meridian west from Washington. They were first observed about the middle of July in northwestern Minnesota, though authentic reports show their destructive presence as early as the 5th of that month, but their main sweep of devastation dates from about the middle of August. Nineteen counties in Minnesota, McLeod, Yellow Medicine, Faribault, Redwood, Meeker, Nicollet, Blue Earth, Nobles, Stevens, Stearns, Todd, Rock, Jackson, Pope, Renville, Chippewa, Swift and Kandiohi-report their presence. In Iowa they appeared in fourteen of the northwest

ern counties-Crawford, Clay, Harrison, Calhoun, Humboldt, Cherokee, Sioux, Greene, Montgomery, Audubon, Guthrie, Pottawatomie, Pocahontas and Sac. Missouri reports them only in her northwestern corner county, Atchison. Kansas, had a destructive visitation, but not so general as in previous years, reporting them in only nine counties-Mitchell, Pawnee, Washington, Ellis, Reno, Norton, Graham, Rice and Republic. Nebraska suffered more severely, in eighteen counties-Furnas, Knox, Osage, Cuming, Dodge, Webster, Franklin, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, Boone, Lancaster, Platte, Hall, Wayne, Merrick, Antelope and Richardson. In all, sixty-one counties report officially the presence of these pests. Their ravages were in many cases very severe; in others they did but little damage. In some counties, all the late grain, grass, fruit and vegetable crops were swept; in others the destruction was limited to a few growing crops.

One correspondent examined the soil of an oat-stubble field, upon which they had settled for oviposition. He estimates that 15 deposits. of eggs, on an average, were made on each square inch of ground, and that each deposit averaged 30 eggs. This gives an aggregate of 2,826,688,000 per acre. This doubtless is largely in excess of the average, but it illustrates something of the stupendous multiplication of insect life.

The English sparrows lately imported, did good service in some counties in destroying the pests, and a wail of regret over the wholesale slaughter of insectivorous birds now comes from all parts of this afflicted region. It is a question affecting our civilization, how we may be able to abate this terrible nuisance; no adequate remedy has yet been suggested.-E. C. MERRICK.

Crows Seeking Water.-I send you an Ornithological note, which may be of interest to the readers of Field and Forest.

During the protracted drought of June and July in some of the eastern counties of Virginia, it was observed that nearly all the water-melons were pecked in deep holes by the crows in their search for water. How did they select the water- melon from pumpkins, squashes &c, as a water supply?

It was said by Pliny, I think, that ravens have been known to drop pebbles into urns or crevices containing water beyond their reach, so as to raise it by displacement to an accessible level.-N. B. WEBSTER.

The Colorado Beetle.-Apropos of the fact that the potato beetle has appeared upon Block Island without perceptible means of ferriage from the mainland, the New London Telegram says that the captain of a New London vessel reports being boarded while at sea by the genuine Colorado beetle, and they came in such numbers as to necessitate the closing of the hatches. Those who regard this as a rather improbable story are informed that at Millstone and other places, for some time past, the pest of the country has come in on the waves by the million. Only a few miles out of town they can be found on the shore, washed in, but still living, in such immense numbers that the stench coming from them fairly poisons the air.-Norwich Bulletin.

We cannot say how accurate the above report may be, but in regard to the first two lines we can say that having spent some little time upon the island mentioned, in August, we have very serious doubts. Diligent inquiries were made at each end of the island, of tillers of the soil, in regard to the presence of the pest, and as to whether any damage had been done to the potato crop, but the good people were not only in blessed ignorance of the existence of such a creature, but had noticed nothing eating the vines. In one of the fields we passed through, the tops were all dead, but they certainly had died "a natural death."

Block Island is thirty miles from the Rhode Island coast, and only has regular steamer communication with the mainland about two or three months in the year. A catalogue of its Insect fauna would make quite a respectable pamphlet, but we doubt at present if the Doryphora 10-lineata could be inserted.-C. R. D.

Second Blossoming.-An Arbre Courbe pear tree in the grounds of the Department of Agriculture has just blossomed (September, 8th) for the second time this season. The first set of leaves and fruit were destroyed by a small fungus, in July, and mostly dropped off, and the present show of young leaves and blossoms would seem like a premature development of buds, properly belonging to the next season.— W. H. S.

Tipularia discolor.-Mr. L. F. Ward of the Naturalists' Club has succeeded this season in discovering a locality where an abundance of this rare and interesting Orchis can be obtained in the flowering state. As is well known to the members of the club, this plant is common enough during the season of the year when the con

spicuous root-leaf is on; the difficulty has been to find it in its flow ering condition, which does not occur until long after every trace of the leaf has disappeard, and careful observation has proved that it is only under peculiar circumstances that it blooms at all, so shy and coy does it appear to be. And when it does send up its brown scape so near the color of the leaves through which it peers, and open its brownpurple flowers with scarcely a different hue, it is a rare chance if any botanist happens to detect it during the brief period of its evanescent existence in this state.

For several years Mr. Ward, Prof. Doolittle and Mr. J. M. Comstock of this city, have carefully watched the phases of this plant and marked with the greatest care all the principal localities where it is found in this vicinity, but have heretofore only succeeded in securing enough flowering specimens to supply the local demand. The new locality and from which they hope to supply exchanges, is on the Virginia shore of the Potomac not far above the Three Sisters. The exact time for collecting it in flower seems to be the last week in July.

Sinea Multispinosa. This insect, belonging to the true bugs, hitherto supposed to be only beneficial, by destroying plant lice, and other insects injurious to vegetation, is reported as doing considerable damage to apple orchards, reports coming from as remote points. from each other as Morris County Texas, and Mifflin County Pa., one orchardist in the first named locality losing his entire apple cróp through their ravages. In Texas this is the first year they have ever been seen, but in Pennsylvania they appeared last year in small numbers, and the present season many orchards are ruined by them.

They make their first appearance in June (earlier at the South) and continue troublesome for six or eight weeks. The blossoms are first attacked, and killed out, after which they "sap" the limbs often to the trunk.

When

The small twigs of new growth suffer most, though the insects sting or puncture the older wood to a certain extent; wherever they operate, the bark turns a light brown, and the twig dies in a few days. the insects are not at work on the twigs they lie concealed in the dried up leaves. It was noticed in Texas that young trees two or three years old, that did not bloom, escaped injury, and appear perfectly healthy.

"Watermelon Blight."-For a number of years an unknown insect-probably an Ægerian-has been destructive to melon vines in the vicinity of Augusta, Ga., to a greater or less extent every year, but the present season their ravages have extended over every part of the melon producing section contiguous to Augusta. Many hundred acres are devoted to the culture of this fruit, and this year many fields have been totally destroyed.

According to Mr. A. H. M. Laws, who has observed their mode of warfare, the insects attack the plant at various stages of its growth, sometimes when young, and often when the fruit is nearly ripe. Sometimes one of the branches alone is killed, but most frequently the crown, from which the branches shoot, appears to be the point of attack, and all die; the long tap-root does not appear to be injured. Four years ago the insect was only to be found in occasional hills, now it spreads over every field.

Hydrodictyon utriculatum, Roth.-Three years ago we discovered this very interesting alga in large masses, in some pools near the Baltimore and Potomac depot, now filled up. We have not succeeded in finding it since, until a few days ago, (September 13th) strolling along the river bank at the foot of Seventeenth street, it was seen in the bottom of a stranded canal-boat. The old fronds are breaking up and there is a good supply of young nets about an inch long. To any of our microscopic readers we cannot recommend a more interesting object than some of these placed in a large jar of fresh water, when their growth and reproduction will offer entertainment for a considerable time.-W. H. S.

What was their Motive?-A few weeks ago, in the country, I was amused greatly at the proceedings a flock of young turkies in a field. Two of the bipeds had evidently fallen out about the possession of some grasshopper, and were having a little war in Turkey all to themselves; after several minutes of manoeuvring, the smaller of the two, doubtless feeling himself no match for his antagonist, beat a retreat. The larger one followed, however, and after considerable skirmishing, came up to his victim, and was proceeding to administer a sound drubbing, when half a dozen of the flock simultaneously rushed upon him, standing between the two till peace was again restored.