﻿THE 
  ROCKY 
  MOUNTAIN 
  LOCUST 
  IN 
  MONTANA 
  IN 
  1880. 
  9 
  

  

  turning 
  to 
  Helena, 
  and 
  thence 
  to 
  the 
  terminus 
  of 
  the 
  Utah 
  and 
  Northern 
  

   Railway, 
  thus 
  having 
  made 
  a 
  pretty 
  thorough 
  tour 
  of 
  Central 
  Montana 
  

   and 
  Western 
  Dakota 
  and 
  through 
  the 
  heart 
  of 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  '' 
  permanent 
  

   breeding" 
  region. 
  

  

  Ilie 
  Judith 
  and 
  Musselshell 
  Yalleys 
  could 
  not 
  very 
  well 
  be 
  reached 
  

   under 
  the 
  circumstances, 
  as 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  my 
  passing 
  through 
  no 
  stages 
  

   were 
  running 
  into 
  either 
  of 
  them, 
  and 
  Sitting 
  Bull, 
  with 
  his 
  followers, 
  

   occupied 
  a 
  large 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  bordering 
  tliese 
  two 
  basins. 
  

  

  At 
  noon, 
  July 
  7, 
  while 
  crossing 
  the 
  country 
  lying 
  along 
  the 
  Cheyenne 
  

   Eiver 
  of 
  Dakota, 
  locusts 
  were 
  seen 
  in 
  the'air 
  in 
  small 
  numbers, 
  flying 
  to 
  

   the 
  south-southwest. 
  A 
  few 
  were 
  also 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  ground. 
  On 
  inquiry, 
  

   nothing 
  could 
  be 
  ascertained 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  their 
  place 
  of 
  breeding 
  or 
  

   numbers. 
  It 
  was 
  supposed 
  that 
  they 
  had 
  hatched 
  in 
  the 
  Red 
  River 
  

   country, 
  and 
  west 
  on 
  the 
  high 
  and 
  dry 
  table-lands. 
  I 
  have, 
  since 
  my 
  

   return, 
  traced 
  this 
  swarm 
  into 
  Nebraska 
  and 
  Kansas, 
  where 
  they 
  have 
  

   spread 
  over 
  about 
  half 
  of 
  these 
  States, 
  and 
  are 
  so 
  scattered 
  that 
  they 
  

   are 
  hardly 
  noticeable. 
  No 
  damage 
  is 
  recorded 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  perpe- 
  

   trated 
  by 
  them. 
  From 
  this 
  locality 
  west 
  but 
  few 
  locusts 
  were 
  seen, 
  

   and 
  I 
  will 
  take 
  the 
  notes 
  as 
  they 
  occur 
  in 
  my 
  note-book. 
  

  

  COUNTRY 
  BETWEEN 
  BISMARCK 
  AND 
  FORT 
  KEOOH. 
  

  

  Hoppers 
  — 
  natives 
  — 
  numerous 
  at 
  Green 
  River 
  and 
  Beaver 
  stations, 
  

   1879. 
  Locusts 
  breeding 
  on 
  high, 
  dry 
  flat 
  north 
  of 
  White 
  Buttes. 
  Left 
  

   in 
  early 
  part 
  of 
  July 
  to 
  the 
  southwest. 
  None 
  this 
  year. 
  Could 
  be 
  de- 
  

   stroyed 
  at 
  this 
  locality 
  by 
  spring 
  fires. 
  Was 
  unable 
  to 
  ascertain 
  from 
  

   which 
  direction 
  they 
  came, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  thought 
  they 
  came 
  from 
  the 
  north- 
  

   east. 
  Also 
  at 
  mouth 
  of 
  Powder 
  River 
  numerous 
  eggs 
  were 
  deposited 
  

   by 
  a 
  swarm 
  from 
  the 
  northeast 
  (according 
  to 
  the 
  stage-driver). 
  These 
  

   eggs 
  did 
  not 
  hatch 
  this 
  spring. 
  No 
  cause 
  known 
  for 
  this, 
  but 
  supposed 
  

   to 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  severe 
  winter 
  — 
  cold, 
  without 
  snow. 
  During 
  last 
  winter 
  

   at 
  Fort 
  Keogh 
  the 
  thermometer 
  reached 
  a 
  point 
  53° 
  below 
  zero. 
  Snow- 
  

   birds 
  were 
  seen 
  scratching 
  out 
  and 
  eating 
  the 
  eggs 
  at 
  mouth 
  of 
  Powder 
  

   River 
  (stage 
  driver). 
  I 
  also 
  noticed 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  killing 
  the 
  

   native 
  locusts. 
  This 
  list 
  would 
  include 
  almost 
  all 
  the 
  smaller 
  species 
  

   of 
  birds 
  inhabiting 
  this 
  section 
  of 
  country. 
  The 
  magpie 
  and 
  crow 
  are 
  

   among 
  them. 
  

  

  At 
  Fort 
  Keogh, 
  a 
  private 
  in 
  the 
  Army 
  says 
  that 
  swarms 
  of 
  great 
  ex- 
  

   tent 
  were 
  seen 
  on 
  Milk 
  River 
  in 
  early 
  August, 
  1877. 
  Did 
  not 
  notice 
  

   whether 
  depositing 
  eggs 
  or 
  direction 
  they 
  came 
  or 
  went. 
  At 
  Fort 
  

   Custer, 
  large 
  swarms 
  in 
  August, 
  1878, 
  from 
  northwest 
  — 
  no 
  definite 
  infor- 
  

   mation 
  obtainable. 
  

  

  July 
  19, 
  1880. 
  — 
  A 
  few 
  young 
  locusts 
  (larvse 
  and 
  pupse) 
  on 
  river 
  bank, 
  

   3.5 
  miles 
  above 
  Fort 
  Keogh. 
  These 
  are 
  principally 
  C. 
  sjjvetus 
  and 
  G. 
  

   atlanis. 
  Could 
  not 
  have 
  been 
  destroyed 
  by 
  fire 
  — 
  too 
  wet 
  in 
  early 
  

   spring. 
  

  

  July 
  21. 
  — 
  Numerous 
  C. 
  hivittatus 
  and 
  other 
  native 
  species 
  seen 
  along 
  

  

  