﻿[54] 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  ENTOMOLOGICAL 
  COMMISSION. 
  

  

  iug 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  get 
  water. 
  We 
  passed 
  several 
  small 
  lakes, 
  but 
  tlie 
  

   water 
  was 
  too 
  strongly 
  impregnated 
  with 
  alkali 
  to 
  be 
  fit 
  for 
  use. 
  

  

  G. 
  spretiis 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  grasshoppers 
  were 
  taken 
  during 
  

   the 
  day. 
  Occasionally 
  as 
  we 
  drove 
  into 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  a 
  dry 
  lake 
  where 
  

   the 
  grass 
  was 
  greener 
  and 
  more 
  tender 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  'hoppers 
  more 
  nu- 
  

   merous, 
  and 
  I 
  noticed 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  them 
  when 
  disturbed 
  rise 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  

   from 
  25 
  to 
  50 
  feet, 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  cases 
  much 
  higher, 
  and 
  tly 
  toward 
  the 
  

   northwest, 
  with 
  the 
  wind, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  we 
  could 
  see 
  them. 
  In 
  these 
  flights 
  

   they 
  made 
  no 
  ajiproach 
  to 
  the 
  spiral 
  form 
  of 
  rising, 
  and 
  I 
  think 
  they 
  re- 
  

   turned 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  at 
  no 
  great 
  dista-nce 
  from 
  where 
  they 
  rose. 
  Lepi- 
  

   doptera 
  were 
  scarcely 
  seen 
  ; 
  a 
  few 
  beetles 
  were 
  taken. 
  

  

  August 
  11. 
  — 
  At 
  noon 
  we 
  were 
  rejoiced 
  at 
  finding 
  a 
  trail 
  which 
  one 
  of 
  

   our 
  party 
  recognized. 
  There 
  was 
  scarcely 
  a 
  breeze 
  stirring, 
  and 
  the 
  

   heat 
  was 
  oppressive. 
  In 
  the 
  afternoon 
  the 
  horses 
  were 
  attacked 
  by 
  

   great 
  numbers 
  of 
  flies 
  [Tahanus 
  lineolus) 
  and 
  were 
  tormented 
  severely 
  

   by 
  them. 
  Quite 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  grasshoppers 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  moths 
  were 
  taken. 
  

  

  August 
  12. 
  — 
  The 
  Coteau 
  was 
  very 
  hilly 
  over 
  the 
  portion 
  we 
  passed 
  to- 
  

   day. 
  Of 
  th 
  e 
  insects 
  captured 
  to-day 
  C. 
  spretus 
  bears 
  a 
  smaller 
  relative 
  pro- 
  

   portion 
  than 
  in 
  other 
  days. 
  Two 
  species 
  of 
  large 
  'hoppers, 
  one 
  with 
  

   coral 
  underwings, 
  the 
  other 
  with 
  sulphur-yellow, 
  were 
  most 
  noticeable. 
  

   Mosquitoes 
  were 
  plentiful 
  and 
  active 
  in 
  the 
  evening. 
  

  

  August 
  13. 
  — 
  Descended 
  from 
  the 
  Ooteau 
  to 
  the 
  level 
  prairie 
  about 
  11 
  

   miles 
  from 
  the 
  James 
  Eiver. 
  Soon 
  afterward 
  we 
  crossed 
  Elm 
  Creek, 
  

   and 
  about 
  11 
  o'clock 
  we 
  entered 
  the 
  railroad 
  eamp 
  on 
  the 
  Chicago 
  and 
  

   Northwestern 
  Eailway 
  gradiug, 
  about 
  125 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  Watertown. 
  

   My 
  collection 
  here 
  was 
  mostly 
  'hoppers, 
  including 
  many 
  C. 
  spretus. 
  

  

  August 
  14. 
  — 
  Passed 
  through 
  Columbia, 
  on 
  the 
  James 
  Eiver, 
  but 
  

   learned 
  nothing 
  of 
  any 
  locust 
  invasions 
  or 
  flights. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  while 
  crossing 
  the 
  river 
  near 
  York's 
  post-office, 
  we 
  

   were, 
  through 
  the 
  recklessness 
  of 
  the 
  driver, 
  carried 
  into 
  deep 
  water 
  

   and 
  treated 
  to 
  an 
  unexpected 
  bath. 
  The 
  valise 
  containing 
  my 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  collected 
  on 
  the 
  Coteau 
  not 
  being 
  water-proof, 
  the 
  specimens 
  were 
  

   wetted 
  and 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  of 
  them 
  spoiled. 
  

  

  August 
  15. 
  — 
  Sunday 
  was 
  spent 
  at 
  Slack's 
  stage 
  ranche. 
  The 
  rain 
  

   fell 
  steadily 
  all 
  day. 
  No 
  locusts 
  have 
  visited 
  this 
  place 
  either 
  this 
  or 
  

   last 
  year. 
  Mine 
  host 
  was 
  a 
  new 
  settler, 
  and 
  knew 
  nothing 
  of 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   vious 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  valley. 
  

  

  August 
  16. 
  — 
  The 
  rain 
  continued 
  falling 
  steadily 
  all 
  day, 
  and 
  no 
  collec- 
  

   tions 
  were 
  made.' 
  Stopped 
  overnight 
  in 
  Castleton, 
  but 
  learned 
  nothing 
  

   definite 
  of 
  locusts. 
  

  

  August 
  17. 
  — 
  The 
  rain 
  fell 
  steadily 
  until 
  nearly 
  noon. 
  In 
  the 
  after- 
  

   noon 
  I 
  saw 
  a 
  few 
  specimens 
  of 
  G. 
  sjyretus, 
  but 
  did 
  not 
  take 
  any. 
  Arrived 
  

   at 
  Huron 
  about 
  7 
  o'clock 
  in 
  the 
  evening. 
  I 
  learned 
  that 
  there 
  had 
  

   been 
  a 
  flight 
  of 
  locusts 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  portion 
  of 
  July 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  year', 
  

   going 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  over 
  the 
  railroad 
  grade 
  30 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  here, 
  but 
  I 
  

   could 
  not 
  learn 
  of 
  any 
  damage 
  done 
  here 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  two 
  years. 
  

   The 
  town 
  itself 
  is 
  of 
  less 
  than 
  a 
  year's 
  growth. 
  

  

  August 
  18. 
  — 
  I 
  took 
  passage 
  on 
  the 
  Chicago 
  and 
  Northwestern 
  Eail- 
  

   way 
  for 
  Winona, 
  Minn., 
  where 
  I 
  arrived 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  evening. 
  Near 
  

   Tracey, 
  Minn., 
  I 
  learned 
  there 
  had 
  been 
  several 
  flights 
  of 
  locusts 
  pass- 
  

   ing 
  south 
  and 
  southeast 
  during 
  July 
  and 
  August, 
  1879, 
  bat 
  they 
  were 
  

   not 
  numerous 
  or 
  dense. 
  

  

  August 
  19. 
  — 
  Took 
  passage 
  on 
  a 
  Mississippi 
  Eiver 
  steamboat 
  for 
  Saint 
  

   Louis, 
  where 
  I 
  arrived 
  August 
  24, 
  and 
  proceeded 
  home 
  the 
  next 
  day. 
  

  

  Eespectfully 
  submitted. 
  

  

  JOHN 
  MAETEN. 
  

  

  