39 



GRASSHOPPER NOTES FOR 1901. 



By IvAWKENCE Bruner, Temporary Field Agent. 



Owing to numerous reports received at Washington from many 

 localities in the central West concerning- the continued presence in 

 more than normal numbers of several species of native grasshoppers 

 or locusts, the subject was deemed worthy of investigation. Reports 

 coming from portions of western Nebraska, eastern Colorado, and 

 eastern and central Wyoming seemed so serious in their nature that 

 the writer was commissioned b}^ the United States Department of 

 Agriculture to make an investigation, so as to ascertain, if possible, the 

 true causes leading up to this undue increase among the several species 

 of locusts concerned, and to report the results to the Entomologist. 



Accordingly, August 8, in company with Mr. M. A. Carriker, jr., an 

 assistant, who was to make some special observations and collections 

 of specimens for the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, a 

 start on this tour of inspection was made. The route chosen was first 

 to southwestern Nebraska via the Denver branch of the Burlington 

 and Missouri River Railroad, and the hrst stop was at McCook. From 

 this place the party proceeded by short journeys to Haigler, then to 

 Akron, and to Brush. At the latter place turning to the north, and 

 passing through Sterling, Colo., Sidney, Nebr., Bridgeport, and Scotts 

 Blutf, they reached westward as far as Guernsey, Wyo., before return- 

 ing to Alliance, Nebr., and Lincoln, h\ way of the Billings branch of 

 the same railroad. On this return journey the central sand hill region 

 was crossed and some notes on locust abundance were there secured. 



Leaving Lincoln again on August 18, a second journey was made; 

 this time via the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad up 

 the Elkhorn Valley, the Niobrara, the White River, and the North 

 Platte, to Lusk, Douglas, and Casper, Wyo., where investigations 

 were made concerning the locust problem as it existed in those regions; 

 then returning as far as Crawford, in which vicinity some work was 

 done, and finalh^ going on to Denver, Colo., where the annual meeting 

 of the economic entomologists was attended. From here the return 

 trip to Lincoln was made over the Union Pacific Railway down the 

 Platte River Valley. Thus most of the remaining territory occupied 

 by the locust pest under consideration was covered. In these investi- 

 gations the writer was greatly aided by having transportation fur- 

 nished him by the railroad companies mentioned. 



Other sections of the country were also visited and carefully studied, 

 both before and since the period embraced by the commission men- 

 tioned, and the results of such investigations have been included in the 

 conclusions arrived at and hereto appended. 



The following notes pertaining to the subject under investigation 

 were jotted down as the work progressed, and in part form the basis 

 for the conclusions reached: 



