[250] EEPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



The locust years and directions from which the swarms came at Deer Lodge were, 

 1866, from north ; 1869, from northeast ; 1872, from northeast ; 1874, 1875, 1876, usually 

 from north and northeast. They mostly departed in a southerly course. 



I came to Montana in 1857, but saw or heard of no grasshoppers until 1866, except- 

 on the Yellowstone, where my brother, James Stuart, met with swarms of young* in 

 1863. Those of 1866 were very dense swarms of unknown extent. They did not do 

 much damage, as there were but few farms then. They have hatched in different 

 places in the Territory ever since, but have never been all over it at once or in any 

 single year. Young broods begin to fly about June 15, and seem to begin to deposit 

 eggs about July 15 to August 30. The prevailing winds at Deer Lodge are west and 

 northwest, but the locusts always come with north and northeast winds. I have no 

 doubt but that their flight is in a great measure governed by the direction of the 

 winds. — [Granville Stuart. 



Hamilton, Gallatin County, Mont., May 10, 1877. 



Sir : In reply to the interrogations contained in circular No. 1, addressed to the post- 

 master at Hamilton, Mont., and received some days sioce, 1 beg leave to submit for the 

 information of the commission such data concerning the series of topics set out in said 

 circular, as well as any other information bearing upon that subject, as I am able at 

 the present time to command. 



As these inquiries have special reference to the year 1877, it will at once be obvious 

 that but little positive information can be given, owing to the early date of th s com- 

 munication, and lience it will appear that prior years must form the subject of this 

 communication. 



It may, however, be prcper to state that, in this immediate vicinity, no depodts of 

 grasshopper eggs occurred during the season of 1866; nor, so far as can be learned, 

 were there any within a distance of one hundred miles, on an east and west or nonh and 

 south line from this locality. 



The period designed to be covered by this paper is from July, 1875, to the present 

 time. On the 4th of July of the foregoing year dense crowds of grasshoppers appeared 

 in the air as early as 9 o'clock a. m. and at 3 o'clock p. m. commenced settling down, 

 and soon covered the face of the whole country. 



Their course was from the east and south. They have seldom, if ever, come from 

 the north or west. These swarms continued for a period of twenty days, during which 

 time they drilled the earth with eggs. In the following year, they commenced to 

 hatch out about the 4tli of April and continued hatching for a space of twenty days. 

 As soon as they hatch, they commence to move at 9 o'clock a. m. and continue hopping 

 until about 3 o'clock p. m., when they settle down for rest and feed until the following 

 day, when they again commence marching as before, and so continue from day to day 

 until they obtain wings, which is from the 4th to the 25th July. As soon as furnished 

 with wings they move as before. When meeting with no adverse winds, or when the 

 currents are favorable, they never light down until their day's journey is completed. 

 Their velocity is increased in proportion to the force of the winds, and their height was 

 unascertainable, even with the most powerful field-glass. The density of the swarms 

 at certain periods of the day varied, generally the greatest between the hours of 

 eleven and two o'clock. 



The date of deposit of eggs has generally been from the 10th of July to the middle 

 of August, and the following years they commence as before stated, hatching about 

 4th of April — from the 15th to 25tli of April is the period when they hatch most numer- 

 ously. This period, however, is slightly changed as tiie spring is early or late. In 

 1866, the proportion of eggs that failed to hatch was variously estimated from one- 

 quarter to one-third. 



In depositing their eggs, light sandy loam, or benches above the river bottoms are 

 here chosen, and in this soil a larger portion hatch than in lower lands. 



They acquire wings first about July 1 to 4, and in two or three days after are ready 

 to fly. The wings which seem to be full grown are covered by a thin coating, drawn 

 close around their bodies, and the work of cutting along their sides to expose them — 

 requires but a few moments. This is done by the little booked teeth, similar to a 

 rotary saw, which cover the legs from the feet to the second joint, by pushing their legs 

 backward horizontally with and along their sides, catting the fibrous coating, at once 

 exposes the double or back wings, whi(;h are equal in length to their entire bodu s. As 

 they first appear wet, a few minutes of sunshine is all that is required to dry them and 

 they are ready for use. 



The estimated injury to crops in Montana during the year 1866 from them was about 

 15 per cent. 



The crops which suffered most were wheat, barley, and oa^s; those which suffered 



* iSTear Barinack City is a stream named Grasshopper Creek, in 1862, from the large number of grass, 

 hoppers found on its banks. On the Yellowstone River, near where Bear Eiver comes in, April 26- 

 1863, the ground was almost covered with young grasshoppers. — [Journal of the Yellowstone Expedition 

 of 1863, by James Staart. (Contributions of the Historical Society of Montana, vol. 1.) 



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