PSYCHE. 



385 



this locust's invasion of Colorado in 

 1891. It is not overstating the matter 

 to say that it was rumored and credence 

 given the report that the migratory 

 locust was approaching from the west, 

 and that the effect of such a rumor was 

 little short of a panic. The large full- 

 faced headlines of some of the leading 

 dailies of Kansas and Missouri pub- 

 lished at that time illustrate tlie feeling. 

 A few are here shown : — 



" Not Red Legs. No Grasshopper Pl.ijiue. 

 Professor Snow Savs The Insects On The 

 Colorado Border Are There All The Time. 

 He Savs They Are Of The Long Winged 

 Variety. There Is No Danger Whatever 

 From The Pest Either This Year Or Next." 

 (Headlines from Kansas City Journal of July 

 14, 1S91.) No Need For Fear. Colora- 

 do's Visitors Harmless. Chancellor Snow 

 Reassures The Farmers Of Kansas. The 

 Present Grasshoppers Not The Terrors Of 

 The Past. No Attacks Being Made By The 

 Insects Upon The Corn." 



Untler this latter heading appeared 

 the following telegram from Professor 

 Snow : — 



"Arriba, Col. (seventy miles from the 

 Kansas line), July 16 — My observations 

 have confirmed my previous opinion that the 

 grasshoppers now infesting portions of east- 

 ern Colorado will not invade Kansas. 



It is not the destructive Rocky Mountain 

 locust which devoured Kansas in 1S74 and 

 1875, but a native species of the plains — tlie 

 long winged locust. 



This species is now devouring the forage 

 grasses of this vicinity, but leaves entirely 

 unharmed the numerous corn fields in the 

 infested area. One or two good rains will 

 repair the damage done to the range." 

 (From the Kansas City Times of July 16, 

 1891.) 



" Safe 1 Report Of The ' Capital's ' Spec- 

 ial Commission Investigating The Locust 

 Pest. Careful Observations Develop The 

 Fact That The Kansas Farmer Is Safe From 

 The Robbing Horde. An Undesirable Jour- 

 ney. Seventy-five Miles Of Wagoning And 

 Fighting With The Advance Guard. Scien- 

 tific Conclusions, Deduced From Actual Ob- 

 servation Of The Habits And Movements Of 

 The Scourge. A Southward Movement Indi- 

 cated By The LatestTactics Of The Invaders. 

 The Investigation Completed." (Headlines 

 from Topeka Capital of July 17, 1S91.) 



Chancellor F. H. Snow and Professor 

 E. A. Popenoe were commissioned by 

 the " Topeka Capital " to investigate 

 the actual conditions. They accord- 

 ingly went to the infested region, and 

 gave the subject careful consideration. 

 Their report, made after traveling by 

 wagon over the territor}' attacked, con- 

 tains many interesting features. The 

 infested district covered an irregular 

 tiact of aliout 300 square miles in the 

 northern part ofLincoln Countv, Colo- 

 rado. The approximate boundaries 

 were from Limon, sixteen miles east, 

 nine miles south, seven miles west 

 diagonally southeast fifteen miles to 

 Hugo. And it is interesting to quote 

 the language of the report. 



''Within this area the two favorite grasses 

 of the range, buftalo and grama grass, have 

 been eaten to the ground. Even here, how- 

 ever, other vegetation is untouched, not ex- 

 cepting the fields of young corn in luxuriant 

 growth." 



"The only injury to any field crop which 

 has come to our knowledge, is the destruc- 

 tion of a twelve acre field of fodder sugar 

 cane or sorghum, only four inches in height. 

 We have repeatedly seen the locusts passing 



