[244] KEPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



did on tbe Coteau, and just off on the low lands for ten miles to the west of this post, 

 which was as far as I visited in that direction last year. 



Dnriug 1677 locusts hatched in this vicinity last spring in considerable numbers, 

 but did but little destruction in this vicinity. — [Extract from letter of Dr. Charles E. 

 McChesney, Fort Sisseton, Dakota, September 13, 1877. 



While I was on the Missouri River, near Fore Sully, there was an alighting of 'hop- 

 pers about the 10th of this month. They came on the west wind. For several days 

 they were flying, but not in great numbers. They came down and seemed to increase 

 from day to day for several days, until they were very abundant. They tried the 

 corn in the Missouri field, but it was too hard for them to damage much. The i^otato 

 tops were still green ; they ate them pretty well off. They worked on melons and 

 beets considerable. If it had been a month earlier they wonld have greatly damaged 

 the field — perhaps destroyed it. As it was they did but little hurt. On the way over, 

 as we came eastward, we found them on the Missouri Coteau, somewhat annoying iu 

 Traveling, but in no large numbers anywhere. — [Extract from letter of Rev. S. A. 

 Riggs, Sisseton agency, September 28, 1877. 



Fori Rice, DaJcota, September 12, 1877. — I am not aware of any locusts having hatched 

 here in the spring, and no swarms have been observed passing over this locality or 

 neigborhood this year. An occasional grasshopp r was seen here during the summtr, 

 but never in swarms, and the crops have not been injured by insects of any kind. — [Blair 

 D. Taylor, assistant surgeon. United States Army, post surgeon. 



Fort Toiten, Daliota, September 16, 1877. — 1st. No grasshoppers were hatched in this 

 vicinity last spring. 2d. There is no record of the time at which swarms v/ere seen 

 passing this summer. It was some time in July, and they were not noticed more than 

 three or four times. None alighting and no damage whatever was occasioned. Their 

 general movement seemed to be to the southea'-t, but varied with the wind, coming 

 back from the same direction. 3d. No eggs have been left in this immediate vicin- 

 ily. — [A. A. Harbach, captain Twentieth Infantry, commanding. 



Loiver Brule agency, September 16, 1877. — In relation to the incubation and movements 

 of grasshoppers in this region, I have to say that the hospital records at this post indi- 

 cate that, so far as can be ascertained, no grasshoppers have batched or passed or 

 alighted during the present year within seventy-five miles of this station — [L. D. De- 

 Russy, Captain First Infantry, commanding the station. 



Fori Sully, Dakota, October 6, 1877. — 1. No locusts were discovered as having hatched 

 in this vicinity. 2. Swarms were first seen flying north on the 22d of June, and con- 

 tinued to fly in a northerly direction in immense clouds until about the 10th of July, 

 wlien they stopped flying past here. None of the swarms alighted. It has been ob- 

 served by me that when the grasshoppers are on the wing, if the wind is fair they do 

 not alight; but should the wind suddenly change and blow a little fresh, they imme- 

 diately alight and remain until the wind becomes favorable again, when they with 

 wonderful unanimity take wing and fly off on their intended course. I observed this 

 peculiarity, particularly in June, 1875, when they alighted here, remaining only three 

 days, but destroying all small vegetables during their short stay. 3. Grasshoppers 

 have been quite numerous along the river-bottom in this vicinity during the j^ast 

 month, but I am of the opinion that they have been driven in here by prairie fires 

 that have burned the country for many miles around I his post. I observe them copu- 

 lating quite extensively up to the present. We had quite a severe frost the night of 

 the 2d and 3d instant, making ice a half inch thick, since which time some of them 

 have disappeared. I think they have sought shelter in the long grass and weeds. 

 They seemed very ravenous, eating up everything green, and even the small potatoes 

 left on the ground ungai hered. I have just tbis day, for the first time, discovered some 

 few of them depositing their eggs, but I do not think any danger may be apprehended 

 next summer from the small number in this vicinity — [Leslie Smith, captain First 

 Infantry, commanding post. 



1877. 



Millioivn, Armstrong County.— Very few hatched in this county this year ; some died 

 off, cause unknown. 



Forestburg, Bramble County. — No 'hoppers nor eggs at present. May 18. 



Scotland, Hutchinson County.- — No eggs within 18 miles of here. 



Gary, Deuel County. — New settlers from Yankton to Lake Kampeska did not see a 

 single grasshopper. I was out 18 miles northwest of here yesterday and saw none ; 

 none iu the county. 



Grand Forks, Grand Forks County.-^'No grasshoppers in this section this year. A few 

 passed over at different times dtiring the month of July, but none lit. No eggs here. 



So far as I have been enabled to learn by inquiry, which has been confined, however, 

 to the southeastern part of Dakota Territory, the series of invasions by locusts included 

 in the period 1872-1877 are all that can be reported. Occasionally I have met Indians 

 who vaguely say, '' Me see plenty 'hopper five, six, eight year ago." I have not been 

 able to learn anything about such early visitations. A late resident of Brookings 

 County, now living in Massachusetts, reported to me that during the summer of 1870 



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