AGRICULTURE. 101 



one of these will most likely determine the question as to which 

 class it belongs, and its comparative liability to locust incursions. 

 Applying this standard to the eastern portion of the United 

 States, it is at once apparent that the region belongs neither to 

 the first or third of the above classes. Our climate bearing no 

 resemblance to either Southern Asia or Northern Africa, we do 

 not breed locusts in any sense as they do ; and being so far removed 

 from their natural habitat, the country east of the Mississippi 

 river may be said, in general terms, to be not afflicted with them 

 at all. In this, of course, I make no account of certain compara- 

 tively harmless species which certainly do exist, but which bear 

 scarcely more resemblance to the migratory locust in their de- 

 structive capacity than does the common house cat to the wolf, 

 the lion, or the tiger. 



The next question is, have we any country in the United States 

 analogous to that which is included by, or borders upon the Altai, 

 the Caspian and Ural regions in Asiatic Russia — the supposed 

 starting point of the migration into Eastern Europe ? The answer 

 to this is, that it seems to be the opinion of some who are the best 

 informed on the subject, that we have. Prof. Chas. V. Riley, the 

 distinguished Entomologist of the State of Missouri, has announced 

 the opinion that the locust has such a native home in the Rocky 

 Mountains. I prefer to give this opinion in his own words, as 

 it stands in his Seventh Annual Report. He says: " There is some 

 difference of opinion as to the precise natural habitat and breeding 

 place of these insects, but the facts all indicate that it is by nature 

 a denizen of high altitudes, breeding in the valleys, parks and 

 plateaus of the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, and especially 

 of Montana, Wyoming and British America. My own 



belief is that the insect is at home in the higher altitudes of Utah, 

 Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Northwestern Dakota and 

 British America. It breeds in all this region, but particularly on 

 the vast hot and dry plains and plateaus of the last-named territo- 

 ries, and on the plains west of the mountains, its range being 

 bounded on the east, perhaps, by that of the buffalo grass." 



Again in his eighth report published at the commencement of 

 the present year he reiterates the same opinion in this wise : 



" Having carefully weighed all that has been written on the 

 subject during the year, and eagerly sought all information that 

 would throw light upon it, T am firmly convinced of the general 

 truth of the views enunciated under this head in my last report. 

 In that country (same as above) alone does it come to perfection 

 for a series of years, and in that country alone can it become so 



