304 KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



known to occur in tlie Yellowstone Yalley, where it feeds exclusively 

 upon the white sage, JEurotia lanata). 



In visiting the regions about the neighborhood of Glendive, I found 

 the locusts equally numerous on the lowlands and highlands, as well as 

 on the hill-sides. 



The various species of Melanoplus falling in the same group with 

 sprctus and atlanis are more partial to localities where the vegetation is 

 somewhat rank, and consequently tenderer than the growths upon the 

 higher slopes and plateaus, than thej^ are to the more elevated and 

 open tracts where the grasses and herbage are short and rather dry. 

 Through inquiries it was ascertained that locusts of all kinds are equally 

 numerous up the valley th the mouth of Powder Eiver, or perhaps even 

 to that of the Tongue Eiver at Miles City. So persistent and numerous 

 are they at O'Fallan's Creek that they have almost denuded the ranges 

 of grass, and the cattlemen of that neighborhood contemplate moving 

 their stock to adjacent ranges for feed. This wholesale destruction of 

 the bunch and buffalo grasses is mainly due to the work of "natives" 

 rather than to the Migratory nnd Lesser Locust. In fact the grass over 

 a considerable portion of Northwestern Dakota antl Eastern Montana is 

 greatly damaged and in many places entirely eaten away. To be more 

 explicit, the region embraces in Montana between the Missouri and 

 Yellowstone Rivers to about the one hundred and eighth meridian, and 

 the adjacent part of Dakota to about the one hundred and second me- 

 ridian. As a proof of the great destruction in this direction, we need 

 but state that the surface of the ground throughout all parts of this 

 area is strewn Avith the small elongate pellets of their excrement, which 

 in some places entirely cover the ground, and in others, where the rains 

 have washed them together in heaps, a half of an inch or more in depth. 



The locusts have also been quite destructive to gardens and fields of 

 small grain at various points along the Yellowstone Eiver between 

 Glendive and Fort Buford ; also at Wolf Point and Poplar Eiver Agency, 

 while a little injury Avas also occasioned by them on the Little Muddy 

 and at Grinell's — the former 22 and the latter 65 miles below Fort Buford 

 on the Missouri. This injury to vegetal)les and grain was done chiefly 

 by 31. spi'etus, M. athinia, and Gamnula pelhicida, while the injury to the 

 grasses can be attributed mainly to the other species common to the 

 region. 



During th«; time which was spent in this region locusts were seen in 

 the air at different localities and intervals wherever I happened to be 

 when the wind was blowing from some point in the north (including all 

 directions between east and west); but at no time were their flights 

 very extensive or the numbers seen great. As near as I could learn l)y 

 inquiry at various points along the line of my travels, there were but 

 fG\Y flights prior to July 29, on which date thej^ were first observed in 

 the air at Glendive, at which time they were moving in an easterly and 

 southeasterly direction. This was also the day when I observed the 

 species — probably the advance guard of those which left the region 

 about Glendive in the forenoon. 



As will be seen by reference to the notes of the trip, which are tran- 

 scribed and sent herewith, locusts were observed in the air at various 

 points within and adjoining the district mapped out, all of which, with 

 but a single exception (when they moved southwest), were moving south- 

 ward and eastward; so it will not appear at all strange when it is learned 

 that they have spread over all the region in Dakota as far south as the 

 Big Cheyenne Eiver and as far east as the James Eiver. This scatter- 

 ing has all occurred within the past three Aveeks, and that, too, when 

 the 7<rc"»'i^-jg winds were contrary. This course is liable to be con tin- 



