BROADHEAD — THK ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOCUST, ETC. 345 



The Rocky Mountain Locust and the Season oyi8y$. 



By G. C. Broadhbad. 



The season of 1875 has been rather a peculiar one for Western 

 Missouri, and the attendant phenomena instructive and worthy of 

 close attention. 



During the fall of 1874 large numbers of locusts {Caloptenus 

 spretus Thomas) appeared in Western Missouri, coming from 

 the northwest, and leaving destruction in their path — depositing 

 their eggs late in the fall. Early in April, 1875, they began to 

 hatch, the hatching continuing for over a month. Having under- 

 gone the several molts, the perfect insect appeared with wings 

 early in June. In about two days their wings were strong enough 

 to fly, but, as the different individuals gained their wings at irre- 

 gular periods, they did not essay very far journeys until about the 

 15th, but by the 20th all had departed. Leaving no eggs, they 

 passed away, by high flights, in a northwest course. 



A large black cricket {Udeopsylla robusta Serv.), heretofore 

 unobserved in Western Missouri, was often seen during May 

 and June, but I cannot hear that it was seen after the locusts 

 left. I did not find it to be destructive, but it may be. Its body 

 was nearly f of an inch in diameter and 2 inches long, with long, 

 awkward legs. Color dark brown. It remained chiefly hidden 

 under old lumber, or in mouse or mole burrows, but could some- 

 times be seen abroad on damp or drizzly days, from which cir- 

 cumstance I suppose its habits to be chiefly nocturnal. 



The locusts generally first attacked clover, wheat, timothy, 

 oats, blue-grass, in the following order as to preference and rate of 

 destruction ; to wit, all the wheat, all the timothy and clover, and 

 most of the blue-grass, was eaten close to the ground and entirely 

 killed. Most fields of oats were entirely destroyed, but some only 

 partially, so as to produce a poor and stunted crop. In some 

 instances blue-grass was killed ; some of mine was, probably 

 over one-half, and the remainder eaten to the ground twice, to 

 rise again and afford good pasturage during the latter half of 

 July, August, and September ; but no blue-grass went to seed. 

 The timothy was all killed by the middle of May. The weeds 

 were nearly all destroyed. The various garden vegetables were 



