[232] EEPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



all positive that the grasshoppers came in 1856, deposited their eggs that year, and 

 hatched and left in 1857. A few rather thought 1855 and 1856 were the years, but they 

 ■were by no means positive. I was a resident of Saint Paul in all of the years above 

 named, and recollect distinctly that in 1856 we had the news of a serious invasion of 

 the upper country by the 'hoppers. In 1862 they came also in vast numbers as far 

 south and east as the old crossing of the Ottertail River. I was at the time in com- 

 mand of mounted troops, escorting a train of supplies for Fort Abercrombie, and about 

 twelve miles on this side of the fort they alighted, while we halted for dinner, in count- 

 less millions, and began an indiscriminate attack on everything eatable, even to our 

 saddle-blankets. I believe they left without depositing their eggs, however, but of 

 this am not positive. From very reliable and quite disinterested information I am sure 

 your assertion as to the years 1856 and 1857 is correct. As to the flies, they were the 

 flies described in your bulletin as the Tachina fly. Some two or three weeks before 

 the final flight of the 'hoppers I noticed thousands of those flies on my timothy and 

 clover meadow, where the locusts were in great numbers, and noticed that they seemed 

 to be in fear, restless, and uneasy. I found by watching that they had cause to be, for 

 no sooner would one take wing, or even hop, but he would be attacked by those flies. 

 Finally the locusts rose en masse and left, and shortly after (I have now forgotten how 

 soon) the flies left in a cloud or sw arm, nearly all. I saw the locusts leave, also the 

 flies. Then, about the last flights of locusts going southeast, or shortly after, I saw 

 at two different times, on different days, flights of what I believed, and still believe, 

 ■were the same flies before spoken of. My neighbor, Donald Mcintosh, also saw one, if 

 not more, swarms of these flies, apparently following the locusts. In every instance 

 they (the flies) took the same course as the locusts. — [J. I. Salter. 



Sibley, Sibley Couniy.—Thej have visited us in the years 1857, 1858, 18G4, 1865, 1874, 

 1875, 1876, and 1877. When there is no wind they fly about 8 or 10 miles an hour, but 

 when going with the wind they move much faster. They only fly three or four hours 

 in the mid le of the day,— [C. E. Woodbury, July 8, 1877. 



Marshall, Lyon Comity. — Mr. Lorenzo Lawrence, of Yellow Banks, an educated Indian, 

 who is fifty-five years old, and less reticent than most Indians, was here last week. He 

 says the 'hoppers always came into this country occasionally since his infancy — he 

 thinks once in three to five years ; generally laid eggs, and the next year flew away 

 westward, and no more was seen of them till three or four years after. But since crops 

 are sown here they like grain, and do not return as before, but fly only a few miles — 

 say, from 20 to 100 or 150, settle down and breed, and the hatch, of the following year 

 go no farther than to where the parents hatched. — [D. F. Weymouth, July 18, 1877. 



Collins, McLeod County.'— ^hen the wind changes the youug 'hoppers seem to hop 

 against it for the period of twenty-four hours, and then in every direction until another 

 change takes place. * * * In 1874, July 4, the first 'hoppers I ever saw alighted 

 here. While I was in the Army, in 1865, some were hatched here. There were very 

 few settlers here at the time and I cannot learn much of their history. Commenced 

 depositing eggs July 25, 1874, hatched in May, and left mostly July 9, 1875, forty-nine 

 days after hatching. Arrived here July 17, 1876, and commenced laying July 20, and 

 kept at it two months. Travel from 4 to 20 miles per hour ; usually fly from 9 a. m. to 

 4 p. m., but when two or three nights pass without dew collecting mature 'hoppers will 

 frequently fly in the night. There is no habit that is not abandoned at some time dur- 

 ing the season. — [G. C. Canfield, June 14, 1877. 



Herman, Grant County. — The 'hoppers came here last year on the 4th of July, stopped 

 two days, and proceeded in a southeast direction. They came again in the latter part 

 of the same month and stopped several weeks ; deposited their eggs everyw^here. They 

 did not fly here in either case, but came on the ground. — [Thos. C. Ho* gson, June 22, 1877. 



Orr, Jaclison County. — Answer to question 20. August, 1864; June, 12, 1873. Eggs 

 laid both years. — [ Jared Palmer, June 18, 1877. 



Dewald, Nobles County. — I have sown a varied assortment of farm seeds for the past 

 five years, and know of but one crop that is free from their attacks, viz, peas. Sor- 

 ghum will escape pretty well if it has attained large size before it is attacked. Some 

 of the neighbors have a bard-strawed variety of wheat — Bed Osaka — which suffered less 

 than ttie ^i/e, although it is by no means proof against them. * * * After they are 

 a month or so old they have a habit of getting off" to the low-land, ravines, banks of 

 streams, timothy meadows, &c., and remaining there till they get their wings ; they 

 then congregate in swarms and raid on the crops. Pease and horse-radish are the only 

 cultivated plants T am acquainted with that they won't eat ; and, among wild plants, 

 cockleburr, purslane, and helianthus, seem to be exempt, but the native iirasses are 

 eaten by them when they can get nothing to suit their palate better. Raiders (invad- 

 ing swarrns) always attack oats first, then flax, corn, wheat, and potatoes, in the order 

 given. — [David Bates, June 13, 1877. 



Dassel, Meeker County. — The 'hoppers came here August 1, 1876 ; not visited in any 

 previous year except 20 years ago I am told they were here, but cannot obtain any re- 

 liable information concerning their depredations at that time. Young 'hoppers con- 

 gregate at sunset in groups oi bunches at the foot of fence-posts, under sides of logs, 



