[132] EEPOET UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



LOCUST RECORD KEPT BY HON. J. STERLING MORTON, NEAR NEBRASKA 



CITY. 



1877. 



February 17. — Weather beautiful. Locust eggs all seem to be good. One bottleftil 

 hatched out since Sunday. 



March 24. — Locust eggs commenced to hatch out to-day on southern exposures. 



March 30. — Many gardens made and many locusts hatching to get away with them. 



April 12. — Locusts beginning to make their appearance in large numbers. 



Api'il 16. — Some farmers already report some damage done by the locusts, of which 

 there are many. 



April 17. — Great rain-storm last night. Locusts apparently unhurt. 



April 19. — Rain all day yesterday and last night. 



April 21. — Locusts hatching out rapidly. Temperature 70^ F. 



April 23. — Locusts getting thicker every day. 



April 24. — Locusts hatching out very fast. 



April 27. — Snow-storm to-day. 



April 28. — ^Locusts unhurt ; taken from under the snow not hurt, but appetite not 

 good. 



April 29. — This morning at 2, temperature 33° F. Ice formed by morning. Fruit 

 not hurt. 



May 1. — Tried coal-tar successfully in trapping locusts. 



May 2. — Thermometer 83° in the shade. Rain last night. Locusts appear lively. 



May 4. — Slight frost last night. 



May 7. — Heavy rain last night again. Locusts appear dormant, but alive. 



May 8. — Locusts hatched out more rapidly to-day than on any previous day. Very 

 warm and pleasant. 



May 9. — Locusts still hatching out fast, but no harm done as yet. 



May 10. — Soaking rain to-day, and the ground very wet. 



May 11. — Soaking rain continued all day long. 



May 12. — Rain still continues. This is the greatest rain-fall for years. Earth com- 

 pletely soaked. 



May 14.— Rained all yesterday and to-day, and yet after the rain the locusts hatched 

 out in great numbers. Thermometer 75° to 80° F. 



May l6. — Locusts disappeared in many places. In Armstrong's pasture saw many 

 dead ones. 



May 17. — ^Rained hard again to-day. 



May 18.— Noticed no locusts for several days. Don't know what became of them, 

 unless they died. 



May 19. — Saw no locusts to-day. 



May 21. — Locusts appearing again ; getting thicker all around. They are also get- 

 ting back their appetites. I hear that they are specially bad in the Weeping Water 

 Valley. 



May 22. — Locusts attracting much attention. They do not appear to grow any, and 

 do not now hurt us any. Rain last night. 



May 23. — Rained hard last night. 



May 24. — Locusts hatching, but doing no hurt. No big ones to be found. 



May 25. — Locusts still getting more numerous, but we are not yet hurt, and less 

 scared. 



May 26. — Locusts very numerous, but doing us no harm. Some farmers report their 

 wheat partially eaten. 



May 2 '. — Locusts very numerous and growing some, but doing no damage. 



May 30.— Locusts still with us, and growing fast in size and in numbers. 



May 31. — Rained hard last night, and I could not plow to-day. 



June 4. — To-day in plowing up locust eggs that we had plowed down in the fall 

 they hatched out in four minutes after they came to the surface. I fear again that 

 we will be hurt. 



June 6.r-Locust8 thick in and around my clover field. Wind and rain-storm to- 

 night. 



June 7. — Locusts very thick and threaten destruction, though little damage is yet. 

 done. 



June .9. — Locusts eating potatoes and clover. Chilly this evening. Locusts threat- 

 ening. 



June 11. — Several showers to-day. Using tar-pans. 



June 12. — Eating more than before. Aughey and Thomas here this evening after 

 the rain and wind at 4 p. m. 



June 13. — Locusts thick and growing, but without appetite. 



June 14. — Locusts thick, and their appetite improving. 



