No. 4. I DAWSON — THE LOCUST INVASION. 207 



NOTES ON THE APPEARANCE AND MIGRATIONS 

 OF THE LOCUST IN MANITOBA AND THE NORTH- 

 WEST TERRITORIES— SUMMER OF 1875. 



By George M. Dawson, Assoc. R.S.M., F.G.S. 



From the reports now received from Manitoba and various 

 portions of the North-west Territory, and published in abstract 

 with these notes, it would appear that during the summer of 

 1875 two distinct elements were concerned in the locust mani- 

 festation. First, the insects hatching in the Province of Mani- 

 toba and surrounding regions from eggs left by the western and 

 north-western invading swarms of the previous autumn; second, 

 a distinct foreign host, moving, for the most part, from south to 

 north. The locusts are known to have hatched in great numbers 

 over almost the entire area of Manitoba, and westward at least 

 as far as Fort Ellice on the Assineboine River (long. 101° 20') 

 and may probably have been produced, at least sporadically, in 

 other portions of the central regions of the plains; though in 

 the summer of 1874, this district was nearly emptied to recruit 

 the swarms devastating Manitoba and the Western States, and 

 there appears to have been little if any influx to supply their 

 place. Still further west, on the plains along the base of the 

 Rocky Mountains, from the 49th parallel to the Red Deer 

 River, locusts are known to have hatched in considerable num- 

 bers — but of these more anon. 



Hatching began in Manitoba and adjacent regions in favour- 

 able localities as early as May 7th, but does not seem to have 

 become general till about the 15th of the month, and to have 

 continued during the latter part of May and till the 15th of 

 June; while, according to Mr. Gunn and others, in cold clayey 

 land and where pools of water from the meltiug of the snow lay 

 long, isolated colonies came out at still later dates. Mr. Gunn 

 states that grasshoppers were even noticed to hatch in August 

 and September, in spots which had been covered with water all 

 summer, a fact showing the very persistent vitality of the eggs, 

 and apparently negativing opinions which have been expressed 

 as to their destruction by damp. The most northern locality at 

 which locusts are reported to have been produced from the egg, 

 is at Manitoba House, Manitoba Lake. 



