62 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



fighting with the climate, poor soil, late frosts, and heavy droughts, 

 they have still to fight the grasshoppers in this arid section of 

 country. Twice a year, in the spring and fall, the growth of vegetation 

 is checked by them to a fearful extent." (J. C. Rickli, Mason, Tex., 

 United States Signal Service.) 



AtCorsicana, eggs were announced to be hatching the 5th of Feb- 

 ruary, but most numerously about the 2()th of February, and on the 

 smooth, barren sandy spots. The young insects acquired wings the first 

 of May and commenced migrating as soon as winged, and were most 

 numerous from the 0th to 12th of May, and disappeared about the 20th. 

 of May. Wheat suffered most; corn least. Fruit and vegetables were 

 greatly injured. The injury will not exceed 10 per cent. (J. W. Smith, 

 United States Signal Service.) This account is confirmed by other 

 United States observers in different parts of the State. At Pilot Point, 

 the United States signal-observer states : " On the last of April and 

 first of May, clouds of locusts alighted, flying from the south with, a 

 brisk south wind, and staid over night and one day, eating large fields 

 of wheat and coin, and then, rising, resumed their northward flight"; 

 and again under date of May 25, "Clouds of them are flying northward 

 at the present time, and most all have left this portion of the country. 

 * * * Since the hoppers have left, the vegetation has come out 

 again and the farmers are hard at work replanting their fields, and as 

 far as I can understand, the crops will prove favorable this season, con- 

 sidering the damage done." 



A slight invasion took place in the autumn of this year, as may be 

 seen by the following extract from the report of J. C. Rickli, United 

 States signal-observer at Mason: "Uctober 30, 1877. High tempera- 

 ture, with wind veering to northwest and north, increasing in velocity 

 to 32 miles per hour and bringing the first Eocky Mountain locusts in 

 their swarms at 4 p. m. They pursued their southern course, and did 

 not deposit any eggs in this section." 



"On the 3d of October, 1877, in the afternoon, myriads of grasshop- 

 pers were seen passing over this station about two or three hundred 

 feet high, coming from the north and going south ; wind was from north- 

 west and four miles an hour; temperature 72^^ fair weather. Their 

 flight continued the 4th, but there were more of them apparently. 

 None were observed on the 5th ; wind from south, 4 miles an hour, and 

 cloudy ; temperature about 62^. On the 6th, they resumed their jour- 

 ney, going south, though in small numbers. Temperature about 75°; 

 fair weather; wind from southeast, four miles an hour. During their 

 flight none came down. (B. G. Prince, Fredericksburg, United States 

 Signal Service.) 



A correspondent at Headsville, Eobinson County, states that 

 *' about the last of August, immense numbers passed over our county, 

 but high up in air." From Helotes, Bexar County, we learn that, *^on 

 September 28, 29, and 30, swarms passed over this county, but, so far 



