152 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



miles west of Kansas City. Observing and inquiring at the stations in 

 this 30 mile belt, I invariably learned that the flight of the locust was 

 from the north and not from the west, as two years ago (in 1874). (Prof. 

 F. H. Snow in Packard's report to Dr. Hayden, 1877.) 



In Nebraska most of the flights were from the north or northeast early 

 in August, i. e., from Iowa, but late in the month (the 23d-25th) strong 

 northwesterly winds carried them east and south. Still, the general 

 movement was from the northwest. Early in August they reached the 

 western portions of the State ; on the 12th they made a forward move- 

 ment, and appeared in the valleys of the Elkhorn, Platte, and Eepubli- 

 can. "A soft, southerly wind, varied by an occasional thunder-storm 

 from the northwest, prevailed to the 23d, when, by stiff northwester, the 

 grasshoppers rose and came from their exhausted feeding- grounds upon 

 the east and south portions of the State." (Riley's ninth report.) Of 

 thirteen observations collected by Professor Aughey, from various points 

 in Nebraska, at the end of July and in August, all show that the flights 

 were from the northwest, .north or west. (App. 8.) 



We have tolerably exact data regarding the course of the swarms 

 which entered Iowa in 187 G. The State was visited by heavy swarms 

 late in July and in August, which came from the northwest, as may be 

 seen by the following statement from Riley's ninth report : "About the 

 1st day of August, the northwestern counties of this State were visited 

 by heavy swarms. They appeared to cross the State line from Dakota 

 and Minnesota 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 direction of flight was a little south of east, and the rate at times 

 eight or more miles an hour." 



In Minnesota in 1875 there were no flights from the northwest, but 

 return flights from the States lying south and west. 



In 1876, however, " swarms came from Dakota, having been heard of 

 on the 23d of July as passing over General Crook's army. These," as we 

 learn from Mr. John C. Wise of the Weekly Review, Mankato, by letter 

 of August 22, " pushed continuously to the southeast, and reached as far 

 east as they were ever known to do, or as far as the corner southwest of 

 Dodge County. * * * it was further noticeable that the insects came 

 down with the northwest winds, and that when the wind changed to the 

 south, as it did for sev^eral subsequent days, few of the insects returned 

 with it. The general direction of the flights was from the northwest, 

 with an occasional swarm from the north, west or southwest." In 

 Dakota, locusts arrived July 28 " in immense numbers from the north- 

 west." 



■The Manitoba district, which is really continuous with Minnesota in a 

 geographical and climatic point of view, and may best be considered 

 here, has been invaded from the west and northwest, and by return 

 flights of locusts from Minnesota and Iowa. In the autumn of 1857 and 



