NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
197
F. Kirby, of the Entomological Department, British Museum, and he is of
opinion that they agree with Cyrtacanthus americana (Drury, illustrations 1, t.
46, f. 2), a Southern States of America species, which determination coincides
with Mr. H. Gladstone's statement as to the source of the hay. It is extremely
unlikely that any such insect would effect a permanent lodgment in this country,
even supposing the specimens contained eggs, and that these eggs would hatch
unless naturally laid in crevices in the soil by the female locusts—a most gra-
tuitous supposition. Miss E. A. Ormerod in the following extract from
her article upon "Insect Attacks in 1893," speaks of living insects, but
I have not heard of any being found in the hay sold in Essex.
" The imported locust appearances, so far as specimens have reached me alive,
would be of no importance, as these proved to be of a South European species,
which is not gregarious, and in its own country, though of large size, is known to
do no appreciable damage. From the climatic requirements of locusts, and also
from recorded experience, there does not appear to be any reason to fear even a
possibility of locusts effecting a settlement in this country, but in case of their
being introduced dead in very large numbers in fodder, to a greater amount than
those from Buenos Ayres, of which specimens were sent me early in February, it
would probably be desirable to consider what the effect of the hard, long, spiny
shanks of the leaping legs might be on cattle. At present the largest estimate of
amount I have received is one locust to each pound of lucerne hay examined,
which would equal 2,240 locusts to the ton of fodder, and in another case not less
than 200 locusts in one truss of hay. This amount is probably harmless, but in
great quantities (although animals will consume locusts in the live state greedily)
their presence might cause bad effect in the case of long feeding on much infested
fodder."
It is well known that besides the Great Green Grasshopper (Locusta
viridissima), often mistaken for a foreign locust by newspaper writers, two species
of true migratory locusts have been occasionally noticed in Essex—viz., Pachytylus
migratorius and P. cinerascens—but these are far too rare to do any damage to
agricultural crops, and are probably only sporadic immigrants. The species under
consideration (Cyrtacanthus americana) is not known as being specially destruc-
tive ; if the exportation of hay to England should spread to North America, far
more risk of danger would arise from the possible importation of the terribly de-
structive "Rocky Mountain Locust" (Caloptenus spretus), but whether this would
ever breed in our country, even if introduced in a living state, is an exceedingly
doubtful point. William Cole.
NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
Otters in Essex.—In continuation of the records of the capture of these
interesting animals, we may note the following :—
Southminster. "A fine male otter was killed on Sunday morning, October
29th, at the Hurdles, on North Wick Farm, through which an irregular brook or
watercourse, varying from twenty to thirty feet in width, passes. Thomas
Wright, a young labourer, of Asheldham, was 'eeling,' and, catching sight
of the creature sitting on the bank, he pursued it and struck it on the back with
his eel spear, the blow breaking the animal's vertebrae. It was 3 ft. 11 in. long, and
weighed 223/4 lbs. Mr. Alderton, taxidermist, of North Street, has it in hand for
preservation for Mr. W. A. Hurrell. The old men of the district cannot
remember an otter having been seen in the Dengie Hundred before. It is