chronology: IOWA, 1874-1877. 79 



attacks of the progeny of the 1873 swarms. Fresh swarms came, how- 

 ever, in 1874, and the western counties of Algona, Calhoun, Cherokee, 

 Clay, Dickinson, Eramett, Harrison, Humboldt, Jasper, Kossutb, Lyon, 

 O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Plymouth, 8ioux, Winnebago, 

 and Woodbury, suffered more or less. As the drought was less severe 

 than in other parts of the country, and the crops good, the distress in 

 the ravaged counties was easily relieved. (Eiley's seventh report). 



**In 1874 the young 'hoppers destroyed gardens and injured other 

 crops. Heavy swarms also came from the north in the latter part of 

 July or the first of August, doing great damage." (A. J. Newell, Athol.) 



1875. — Few locusts hatched in the spring of this year in Iowa, but 

 about the 10th of June until the middle of July, swarms flew in from 

 the south over the western counties, " many of which alighted and re- 

 mained one or two days, committing depredations in corn-fields, gardens, 

 and nurseries. Eye, wheat, and oats were also damaged to some extent. 

 From the counties of Mills, Fremont, and Council Bluff's a loss of twenty- 

 five percent, was reported. (Eiley's eighth report.) At Athol Mr. New- 

 ell reports that " a swarm passed over from the north -, a few alighted ; 

 but no damage was done to speak of." 



1876. — As in a few of the southwest counties in Minnesota, so in 

 adjoining parts of Northwest Iowa, and notably in Osceola and Dickin- 

 son Counties, the young insects hatched out from eggs laid in 1875, but 

 by the middle of June they had disappeared without doing much harm, 

 or, in some cases, moved off in a northwest direction. About the 1st of 

 August, the northwestern counties of this State were visited by heavy 

 swarms. '' They appeared to cross the State line from Dakota and Min- 

 nesota at almost exactly the same date for Emmett, Dickinson, Osceola, 

 Lyon, Sioux, and Plymouth Counties, and from here they swept at once 

 out into the counties lying eastward and a little to the south." The 

 most eastern point reached was in the middle of the State, and the line 

 retreats westward from Story County both north and south. (Eiley's 

 ninth report.) '^ In summing up their coming here, I will say that from 

 the year 1856 there has not been a year but that swarms have been 

 seen passing over from the northeast, north, and northwest, but, with 

 the exceptions of the years when they were exceptionally abundant 

 (1856, 1867, 1874, and 1876), they have never deposited their egg^ to any 

 great amount." (Whitman.) They laid eggs at Ames. (Bessey.) 



1877. — In the spring of this year the young hatched out in the follow- 

 ing counties: Lyon, Ida, Carroll, Greene, Sac, Hancock, Webster, Madi- 

 son, Guthrie, Wright, Pocahontas, Boone, Buena Yista, Winnebago, 

 Sioux, Woodbury, Pottawattamie, Page, Hamilton, Worth, Calhoun, 

 Adair, and Plymouth, but the cold wet weather killed them, and little 

 destruction was done except in Pottawattamie County. (Letter from 

 Mr. Whitman.) There were no invasions this year from the northwest. 



The first return flight reported over this State was on June 14. It 

 was dense and toward the north. The next day the wind was* pretty 



