40 



At McCook, Nebr., August 9, we collected some thirty -odds pieces 

 of the native grasshoppers, which abound in this vicinity. Most of 

 these were from common to numerous as regards abundance. In fields, 

 both on the table-lands and in the valley, the Melanojphiii dlfferentialh 

 was exceedingly abundant; in fact it appeared to be the principal 

 species that was causing the injury to crops and cultivated plants. It 

 was aided, however, in this work by such other forms as M. hivittatus^ 

 M. atlmiis, M. packardii — of the form usually referred to as M. 

 .fcBdus — and M. femur-rubrum. Among the other species which 

 existed in unusually large numbers were Dlssosteim longi2)ennis, 

 ^oJoplus turiibuUll^ M. occidentalism M. consj^er'sus, M. lakinus^ 

 Atnpliitornus hicolor^ Autocar a elliotti^ Mestobregma Mowa, etc.; but 

 these latter were feeding mainly upon grasses, weeds, and special food 

 plants other than cultivated ones. 



In trjdng to ascertain just where the insects which were concerned 

 in the devastation of crops had hatched, it was found that old break- 

 ings seemed to furnish many, while the forsaken roads, edges of fields 

 and irrigating ditches, railroad beds, and like places, grown up to 

 weeds, had provided still others with the required breeding places. 

 Alfalfa fields growing next to corn nearly invariably occasioned much 

 injury to the corn. Some of the fields of corn observed between 

 McCook and Culbertson had been entirely destroyed, and in some 

 instances even the weeds between the rows and about the edges were 

 badly eaten. A few fields showed only here and there the remnants 

 of bare stubs, just as I had seen fields appear in the early seventies 

 after a visit from the Rocky Mountain locust plague. 



In observing what plants, if any, were free from the ravages of the 

 various locusts mentioned above, it was noticed that sorghum in most 

 cases had suffered but little, while Kaffir corn was nearly exempt. 

 Only when Kaffir corn was wilted did the locusts seem to touch it at 

 all, and then but slightl}^ if other food was available. Millet, too, 

 seemed to be fairly immune against their attacks. Of course most 

 kinds of garden truck suffered severely. 



One feature noted in connection with the abundance of the sup- 

 posedly harmless locusts was the presence in large numbers of M. 

 lal'inus and ^oloph/s turnbidlii on the Russian thistle and lamb's- 

 quarters. Nearly everywhere that these weeds grew the grasshoppers 

 just mentioned abounded. Only a few years ago both of these species 

 of locusts were rare, usuall}^ extremely rare, and at the same time very 

 local in their distribution. Since the}^ have already been observed to 

 attack the beet, they ma}- both prove troublesome in the future should 

 attempts be made at sugar-beet growing in the regions now overrun. 



On the prairies and other uncultivated grounds two or three grass- 

 hoppers besides those mentioned above seemed to be abnormally abun- 

 dant. Merrairia hivittata^ Opeia ohscura^ and AnnpMtornus hicolor or 



