INTRODUCTION, 



The injury by the Eocky Mountain locust to the agriculture, and, as 

 a consequence, to the general welfare of the States and Territories west 

 of the Mississippi, had been so great during the years 1873, 1874, 1875, 

 and 1876, as to create a very general feeling among the people that 

 steps should be taken by Congress looking to a mitigation of an evil 

 which had assumed national importance. This feeling found expres- 

 sion, during the year last mentioned, in various memorials to Congress, 

 one of the most important and cogent of which was that from a confer- 

 ence of the governors of various Western States and Territories, held at 

 Omaha, Nebr., on the 25th and 26th of October, 1876. This memorial 

 prayed for the creation of a commission of five experts to thoroughly 

 investigate the subject, and an appropriation of $25,000. 



The United States Entomological Commission was created in pursu- 

 ance of an act of Congress appropriating $18,000 to pay the expenses 

 of three skilled entomologists to be attached to Dr. F. Y. Hayden's 

 United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, and 

 to report upon Eocky Mountain locusts, with a special view as to the 

 best practicable method of preventing the injuries from these insects, 

 and of guarding against their invasions. The Secretary of the Interior 

 appointed Mr. Charles Y. Eiley, of Saint Louis, Mo., as chief, Mr. Cyrus 

 Thomas, of Carbondale, 111., as disbursing-agent, and Mr. A. S. Pack- 

 ard, jr., of Salem, Mass., as secretary. Upon receiving their appoint- 

 ments, the Commissioners at once met in Washington for the purpose ©f 

 organization. The following record from the minutes of this first meet- 

 ing indicates the scope of the work undertaken by the Commission, an4 

 the field which each member thereof was more particularly to occupy: 



Division of labor. — Voted that the locust-area be divided into three regions, to each of which a Com- 

 missioner be assigned, as follows: 



To C- V. Eiley, the region east of the Eocky Mountains and south of the 40th parallel, the western 

 half of Iowa, and, conjointly with Mr. Packard, Biitish America west of the 94th meridian. 



To A. S. Packard, jr., Western Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Idaho, and the Pacific coast. 



To Cyrus Thomas the portion north of Eiley's region, including the eastern half of Wyoming, JS"orth- 

 ern Colorado, the southern and eastern part of Dakota, Nebraska, eastern half of Iowa, and Min- 

 nesota. [ISforthwestern Iowa was subsequently added.] 



To Mr. EUey were assigned Biology, or Natural History, Invertebrate Enemies and Parasites 

 (Insects, &c.), Eemedies and Devices for the Destruction of the Locust. 



To Mr. Packard, Anatomy and Embryology. 



To Mr. Thomas, Geographical Distribution, Enemies not Entomological, Agricultural Bearings of 

 the Subject. 



To Packard and Thomas conjointly, Connection of Meteorological Phenomena with the Migrations. 



It was also decided that the publications should consist of circulars, 

 bulletins, memoirs, and the annual report of doings and results of the 

 work of the Commission, and that Mr. Eiley should at once prepare the 

 la 



