[86] REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



Lawrence and Galveston, Missouri River, Fort Scott and Gulf, and Missouri, Kansas 

 and Texas Railroads, for free passes over their respective routes. 

 All of which is respectfully submitted. 



GEO. F. GAUMER, 

 Assistant to U. S. Entomological Commission. 

 Lawrence, Kans., August 16, 1877, 



At Fort Scott, May 20, 1 found the first locusts. They were very small, and not very 

 abundant. The first colony was on a vacant lot in front of the Stewart Hotel. The 

 ground was sandy and very compact, with a southern slope. A few eggs were un- 

 hatched. A larger colony was noticed in the southwestern portion of the city. The 

 young locusts were perched upon the dead weeds and rocks, which scarcely covered 

 the hard, sandy soil. Many egg-pods were either wholly or partially exposed by the 

 action of the rains. The eggs thus washed out were nearly all spoiled. East of the 

 city about two miles a colony of newly hatched locusts was seen. They were in a 

 field which had been used as a pasture the previous summer. No eggs remained in 

 the ground. Another small colony was observed to the south of town. Many ex- 

 aminations made for eggs proved that in the vicinity of Fort Scott few good eggs re- 

 mained in the ground. Many of the eggs which were deposited in rolling land were 

 washed out by the heavy rains. 



At Girard, May 21, 1 found immense numbers of locusts, which were just hatching 

 and making their way to the surface. The country is prairie ; soil sandy and compact. 

 Large numbers of unhatched eggs were in the ground, and in good condition. Every 

 available spot of ground was filled with eggs, prodigious numbers of which were then 

 hatching. The locusts had all hatched that and the previous day, as was clearly 

 shown by their lighter color and more delicate look. It will be remenibered that the 

 weather, which had been cool and rainy, had changed to warm and clear on the 20th 

 of May, and continued so for several days, during which time most of the locust eggs 

 hatched. 



In a drive of eleven miles in the vicinity of Columbus I noted seven colonies of 

 locusts, which were quite young. In many places the surface seemed to be moving, so 

 rapidly were the young coming up out of the ground. The soil was literally filled 

 with unhatched eggs. When exposed to the air and sunlight, these eggs would burst 

 •into life. They were all in healthy condition ; no parasites were to be found. The 

 farmers, who supposed that the danger had passed, were taken by surprise, and many 

 of them had come to town to tell what had happened, and learn what they could from 

 each other. These men reported that the locusts were hatching in untold numbers all 

 over the country. They confidently believed that the locusts would yet devour the 

 crops, and every one was anxious to hear the best methods for destroying the young in- 

 sects. I endeavored to see as many of these men as possible, and told many of them of 

 the Paris-green mixture, and gave several of them small quantities of the poison to ex- 

 periment with. Only a few have reported as yet. All agree, however, that the poison 

 is a success when used in clear, windless weather. While on the farm of Mr. Blair, 

 two miles west of town, I saw a flock of seventy-five young ducks, which in one hour 

 and five minutes marched four times across his garden of five acres, in which many 

 locust eggs had been deposited, and had commenced hatching about 10 o'clock. The 

 insects were all picked up as fast as they came above the ground. After making a tour 

 around the garden they plunged into a pool of water near the well, and, after quench- 

 ing their thirst, were ready for another raid upon the locusts. No other enemies 

 could be found preying upon them. 



May 28, I made a trip up the Neosho River from Oswego, on the north side. Found 

 locusts quite abundant, and at least a week older than any seen up to that time. They 

 were devouring some gardens, but did no other damage. One man was fighting lo- 

 custs by driving them into heaps of pine shavings, and roasting them. The experi- 

 ment was a success, for he must have burned a bushel in a few hours. The eggs were 

 all hatched in the Neosho bottoms, and most of the young insects had already disap- 

 peared. On the high prairies many eggs were yet unhatched, and the insects already 

 out were small and showed no sign of developing an appetite for vegetation. Every 

 effort to find egg parasites failed, although I found some which evidently had been 

 parasited. 



May 24 was spent in the vicinity of Chanute. A heavy rain cooled the air so much 

 that the locusts did not venture from their hiding-places during the day, which was 

 cool and cloudy. In company with George W. Ashby, I visited his and many other 

 farms in the neighborhood, where the locusts had been hatching in the greatest num- 

 bers since the 19th of May. They had nearly all disappeared, but could nowhere be 

 found dead. We found one colony on Mr. A.'s farm which had molted the second 

 time, and were devouring some radishes. Less than one-half of the eggs were hatched 

 iu the vicinity of Chanute. Those in the ground were still sound, and hatched as 

 soon as brought to the .surface. The farmers who came to town reported that the 



