354 
from next spring, providing the winter is favorable to their preserva- 
tion. We do not, however, look for any extraordinary increase in these 
insects over an extended scope of country next year. 
In southwestern Nebraska and portions of northern Kansas the 
Chinch Bug (MV. leucopterus) became very numerous during June and 
early July, and did a considerable amount of injury to crops—especially 
tu small grain. This undue increase was mainly due to the excessive 
drought in that particular region. A reference to the accompanying 
telegraphic crop reports will be sufficient proof of the magnitude of the 
injury done and the area overrun. Soon after harvest heavy rains in 
this region diminished the numbers of the insect. 
The Striped Cottonwood Beetle (Plagiodera scripta) has also been 
quite numerous in several portions of the West during the year, and 
did much injury to both Cottonwoods and Willows upon high land. 
Hspecially was this true with respect to the young trees upon tree claims 
in newly settled areas. There has been considerable vexation at the 
United States land offices on account of the injuries of this insect and 
of a species of Saw-fly, the larve of which attack the foliage of our va- 
rious species of Ash trees, causing them to die. When the time comes 
for “proving up” there are too few trees. growing upon the tract of 
land, and the result is its probable loss to the enterer. 
The Colorado Potato Beetle ( Doryphora 10-lineata) and Cabbage But- 
terfly (Pieris rapae) have both been rather more abundant than usual 
during the year and have done much injury to their respective food- 
plants. 
In addition to these, the Ash-gray Blister Beetle (Lytta cinerea) has 
been observed in several localities in northern Nebraska to entirely de- 
foliate young hedges of Honey Locust. Until the present summer I 
have not observed this insect attacking the Honey Locust since the sum- 
iner of 1876 or 1877. At that time a nursery of small trees of this kind 
were entirely stripped of leaves by them, as were also several larger 
ones standing alone. 
The Corn Worm (Heliothis armigera) was very numerous and caused 
considerable injury by eating the ends of the ears of corn. It has also 
been found quite abundant in tomato patehes, where it bored into the 
fruit, causing the tomatoes to rot. 
We append a series of short extracts from western newspapers bear- 
ing on some of these topics. 
*“GRASSHOPPERS.” 
A cloud of grasshoppers stopped for a meal at Sanborn [Dakota] recently and 
chewed up a field of wheat in ten minutes.—Omaha Daily Bee, July 23, 1866. 
Grasshoppers are reported in numerous quantities in Winneshiek County, Iowa, 
Howard County, Indiana, and in Athens County, Ohio.—Omaha Daily Bee, May 31, 
1886. 
Grasshoppers are reported at Fargo and Huron, Dak. Lawrence Bruner, who is 
authority on the subject, informs us that there is no doubt they are increasing yearly, 
