SMITHSOTvHAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS. 



CIRCULAR 



IN REFERENCE TO THE 



HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN GRASSHOPPERS. 



The Smithsonian Institution, being desirous of obtaining ac- 

 curate information respecting the Grasshopper' tribes of North 

 America, calls the attention of its friends and correspondents to 

 a number of queries relative to this subject, drawn up by Mr. 

 P. R. Uhler. 



It is well known that these insects destroy immense quantities 

 of the products of the fields; while there is scarcely a plant thai 

 is not at times subjected to their ravages. 



With these facts in view, and in consideration of the want of 

 material to complete their history, the Institution respectfully 

 requests attention to the subjoined questions. Answers may be 

 returned by reference merely to the numbers. 



Should there be several species of grasshoppers committing 

 their depredations in any one locality, the queries should be 

 answered separately for each. 



In all cases, whenever practicable, full series of each species 

 observed should be collected and preserved in a bottle or vial 

 filled with alcohol, or strong spirit of some kind. If this cannot 

 be obtained, the grasshoppers may be dried. Care should be 

 taken to indicate the locality, date, and collector of each series. 

 These may be transmitted to the Institution by any convenient 

 opportunity. The answers to the queries may be sent to the 

 Institution, either direct or under cover to the U. S. Commis- 

 sioner of Patents. 



' The grasshoppers of North America correspond to the locusts of the 

 old world, which commit such ravages in Asia and Africa. The term 

 locust is applied in America to a widelj different insect, not here under 

 consideration. 



