REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 289 



abdomen yello\v. Head and thorax together about as long as the two basal joints of 

 the abdomen. Front of head conical, acute, having each side, close to the eye, a stout 

 spine and two fine hairs dorsally. Another, somewhat curved stout spine arises from 

 the upper angle of the wing-cases which reach to the third abdominal joint. Abdo- 

 men quite strongly curved, the sutures rather deep, and containing dorsally a some- 

 what semicircular, scale-like piece, covered with minute retrorse spines; tip un- 

 iiinied aud bluntly rounded. Exuvium without special significance, the anteunal 

 sLuaths remaining very much in the normal position. 



REPORTS OF AOUNTS. 



ilEPOET ON THE LOCUSTS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CALI- 

 FORNIA.* 



By D. W. COQUILLETT. 



ANAiTErM, Los Angeles County, CAUFOR^-IA, 



Septemier 1, 1835. 



Deab Sir : I herewith transmit to yon my report upon the Locusts of the San Joa- 

 quin Valley, California. 



In accordance with your telegram of the 1st of June, I proceeded to Stockton for the 

 purpose of interviewing Mr. G. N. Milco, one of the members of the State Horticult- 

 ural Commission, in order to ascertain from him what part of the San Joaquin Valley 

 was most infested with locusts. I learned from him that they were about as numerous 

 in the vicinity of Merced, in Merced County, as in any other part of the valley, and 

 he invited me to pay a visit to the Buhach plantation — of which he is part owner — 

 which is situated about 6 miles west of the village of Merced, adding that if I found 

 the locality to be a desirable one I would be perfectly welcome to remain at the plan- 

 tation for as long a time as I desired. A few minutes later I had an interview with 

 the other proprietor of this plantation, Mr. J. D. Peters, a prominent business man of 

 Stockton, who, upon learning my mission, also invited me to visit thaBuhach planta- 

 tion and remain there as long as I wished. Accordingly I proceeded at once to the 

 above plantation, accompanied by Mr. Peters, and finding it to be a very desirable 

 location — the locusts being very abundant, and everything necessary being offered 

 me for the prosecution of my studies — I concluded to make this plantation my head- 

 quarters. 



Already the locusts had almost wholly defoliated several collections of trees and 

 shrubs growing around the residences in this valley, and many alfalfa and grain fields 

 literally swarmed with them. 



• The following letter of instructions -will indicate the points upon -which informa- 

 tion was needed : 



Depabtment of Agriculture, 



drvisiox op extomologt, 

 WasMngion, D. C, June 1, 1885. 

 Dear Sir: In accordance with my telegram and the inclosed commission, I wish 

 you to give your time for from six to eight weeks or more, as occasion may require, to 

 a thorough examination of the Locust troubles in California. You are doubtless fa- 

 miliar with the work of the United States Entomological Commission on Caloptenua 

 spretus, and of course it will not be necessary that you repeat descriptions of any of 

 the remedies there given in detail or illustrated. I wish information as to the amount 

 of damage ; as to the range ; as to the source and movements both of the young and 

 the winged ; the kinds of soil in which they are hatched most abundantly, and every- 

 thing pertaining to their natural history, which will of course be found very similar to 

 that of spretus. Accounts, as far as possible with illustrations, of all particular meas- 

 ures adopted that are dilierentfrom those adopted in the East ; observations on enemies 

 aud parasites, and, in fact, as full a statement of the whole subject as will permit you 

 to make a satisfactory report, to be published by the Department. 



You should send on specimens properly preserved of the insect in its different stages, 

 together with egg-pods, and particularly all iiarasites and other enemies found attack- 

 ing it. ' * * 



Yours very truly, 



C. V. RILEY, 



Entomologist. 



D. W. COQUILLKTT, 



Anaheim, Cal, 



19 AG— 'So 



