Grasshoppers and Hutton Birds

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1921, Page 2

Grasshoppers and Hutton Birds

VISITATIONS IN N.S.AV. SYDNEY, Nov 30. New South Wales has been given two examples of phenomena m insect and bird life during tile week—the first an unprecedented plague of grasshoppers in the far western districts, and the second an unexampled vistation of unitton birds on portions of the coast. The grasshoppers appeared m millions in the west, as if by magic, extending from the South Australian border to well over the Queensland border Thenvisit badly affected farmers and pastoralists for they quickly devoured ad kinds of greenstuffs, especially potatoes and lucerne .... - The insects we-e so thick in some of the far western towns as> to serious y hamper business. In Peak Hill, lor instance they were so numerous tnat ail lights had to lie extinguished. AtJSar rowmine they inundated the streets and stores .nuking business almost impossible. In some places they were found to be over an in "h deep, and horses experienced difficulty in getting alone, wliilo a motor-car took nearly an hoar in .negotiating a few miles, leaving, a slippery trail of crushed insects behind it. Even trains were held up on account of the pest on the Adelaide-Broken- Ilill line. For miles the track was merely a seething mass of insects; which made the lines so slippery that on several occasions trains cr.me to a standstill, although the wheels of the engines were revolving at full speed. . Fortunately, rain has since fallen.in most of the districts affected, and seems to have completely wiped out the pest. The visitation of mutton birds occurred on the south coast, off Montague Island. The steamer Eden, bound south from Sydney, was surrounded by millions of the birds, and was twenty minutes steaming through them.