REPORT ON THE LOCUSTS OF THE SAN JOAQ.UIN VALLEY, CALI- 

 FORNIA/ 



By D. W. COQUILLETT. 



ANAHEIM, Los ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, 



September 1, 1685. 



DEAR 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 Bnhach 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 1 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 the Buhach 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 every thing necessary being offered 

 me for the prosecution of my studies I concluded to make this plantation niy 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. 



About the middle of June the superintendent of the Bnhach plantation, Mr. G. E_ 

 Ladd, who extended me every facility in his power to aid me in study ing up the locust, 

 problem in this valley, wrote to the superintendent of the Natoma vineyard, near Fol 



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

 tion was needed : 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



DIVISION OF ENTOMOLOGY, 



Washington, D. C., June 1, 1885. 



DEAR SIR: In accordance with my telegram and the inclosed commission, I wish 

 yon 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 Caloptenus 

 vpretus, and of course it will not be necessary that yon 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 

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

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

 that of Npreliin. Accounts, as far as possible with illustrations, of all partieular meas- 

 ures adopted that an- different from those adopted in the, East; observations on enemies 

 and 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 parasites and other enemies fonnr 7 . attack- 

 ing it. * * * 



Yours very truly, 



C. V. RILEY, 



Entomologist. 



D. W. COQUILLETT, 272681 



Anaheim, Cat. 



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