chronology: INDIAN TERRITORY. 63 



as I can understand, none have laid eggs, or even lighted on the 

 ground.'^ 



The United States signal-observer, O. A. Smith, Galveston, sends the 

 following facts regarding the presence of locusts in that portion of 

 Texas, principally copied from the Galveston Daily News. Hatching 

 began January 25, but the young appeared most numerously between 

 February 15 and March 1, and by the 10th of that month they were 

 observed hopping in bands in almost every instance northward. In 

 Gronzales County they were seen flying northward about April 15, 

 becoming fledged about April 5, and in other counties about the 20th 

 to 25th. In Austin County, on April 30th, " the heavens were clouded 

 with them, going north, the wind being south." In other counties they 

 migrated northward; for example, in Falls County there were "millions 

 passing over, flying northward, about May 2. They disappeared in dif- 

 ferent counties from May 5 to 16. No eggs were deposited during the 

 present year. 



*'The damages were at first reported as severe, from nearly all of the 

 central counties of the State, but many of the devastated grain fields en- 

 tirely recovered after the departure of the insects." Mr. Smith concludes 

 *Hhat the damage to the grain crops in the sixty -four counties visited 

 cannot exceed 5 per cent. Gardens everywhere appear to have suf- 

 ferred to a much greater extent than the grain crops. They are reported 

 as having been entirely destroyed in a large number of cases, and were 

 badly damaged wherever visited. He estimates $790,350 as the approx- 

 imate damage to gardens. 



THE LOCUST IN INDIAN TERRITORY. 



While it is most probable that Indian Territory was visited in nearly the 

 same years as Texas and Missouri, the records are very meager. In 

 1874 portions were visited according to the reports of the Agricultural 

 Department. 



In 1875 locusts hatched out in large numbers early in the spring. The 

 signal service observer at Fort Gibson reports that there were three 

 distinct swarms seen about the 1st of May, which seemed to originate 

 from eggs laid the previous year. During the month of May they de- 

 parted in a generally north and west direction. A dispatch from Fort 

 Gibson, dated June 1, states that "millions of locusts flew westerly. 

 The Grand, Verdigris, and Arkansas Elvers were covered with the dead 

 hoppers that failed to fly across at the start." 



In 1876, at Fort Gibson, they appeared September 16 to 28. (United 

 States Signal Service.) Mr. Eiley states that "they were thick over 

 most of the Territory, passing southward, from the middle of Sepi ember, 

 and many of them remaining through the season." Locusts were not 

 observed at Fort Sill, either in 1876 or 1877. (United States Signal Office.) 

 Fort Gibson was not visited by locusts during the summer of 1877, but 

 from April 13 to May 1, the young hatched out in great numbers, but 



