i 



160 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



at the rate of three miles an hoar, the locusts were flying in vast num- 

 bers in a direction a little to the north of west nearly in the face of the 

 wind. On June 12, also, with a northeast wind blowing at the rate 

 of four miles an hour, they were flying in greater numbers than ever 

 before in a northwest course at right angles to the direction of the icindP 

 Having once taken wing, there are on record, adds Eiley, but two or 

 three instances of their alighting within the borders of the State. 



In iJ^ebraska the locusts left the State between the 7th of June and 

 the 6th of July. The course of the swarms was invariably to the 

 northwest, except during the prevalence of strong adverse winds or ab- 

 solute calms, and in such cases they commonly alighted to await more 

 favorable winds. — (Riley.) Eeports received from Nebraska City state 

 that the flights were to the north, coming from the south, probably Mis- 

 souri, with a south wind. 



According to the observations of Professor Aughey, prepared for the 

 Commission, the first flight of locusts north was over Plum Creek, on the 

 Union Pacific Railroad. At Kearney, May 31, immense clouds of locusts 

 passed over in a northerly direction. June 14, enormous numbers of 

 locusts flew north at the rate of eight miles an hour. The hegira ex- 

 tended from 100 miles east of the Missouri to Kearney. At Lincoln, 

 June 16, locusts were seen going north by the "countless billions"; the 

 wind was from the south, the thermometer 100^ F. "The locusts began 

 to rise at 8.30 a. m., and the numbers rising increased all the forenoon. 

 At 12.30 I observed a nimbo-stratus cloud in the zenith, and I could see 

 with my glass that the locusts reached that height. I measured the 

 west line of the university grounds, and with transit quadrant took the 

 angle at each end of this line on the sharp end of this almost stationary 

 c^oud. This made the height of the locust column 5,230 feet, or within 

 50 feet of one mile. I allowed 50 feet, however, for a rising-space above 

 the surface of the earth. Otherwise the column could haviB been called 

 a mile thick." As to the size of a swarm observed June 16, Professor 

 Aughey thus writes : 



The column extended to-day from at least 100 miles east of the Missouri to Fort Kear- 

 ney, and was at least 300 miles long east and west. As it averaged at least one-half 

 mile high, though here it was nearly double that, and continued, in round numbeis, 

 from nine to three o'clock, the number of locusts was simply enormous and incalcula- 

 ble. As there were at least 27 locusts for every cubic yard, the number in a cubic mile 

 was 27,878,400. Taking the half of this number and multiplying it by 300, the length 

 of the column east and west, we have 4,151,460,000. Now, as they were as thick as 

 this for at least six hours, and as they moved at least five miles an hour, this number 

 must be further multiplied by 30, which will give 124,543,800,000 locusts which moved 

 this day. But, as they were moving much faster and longer, and the column was much 

 higher than in this estimate, the probabilities are that it would be much nearer the 

 truth to double this number for the actual quantity that moved over Lincoln this day. 

 And then it must be further multiplied to cover the extent of country north and south 

 It is somewhat uncertaiu over what northern and southern area they were moving on 

 this day, but enough is known to justify the further mutiplication by at least four. 



The locusts had left the State by June 26. 



