64 



branch of the Burlington, but no locust depredations were encoun- 

 tered or reported en route. 



Learning that several good rains had fallen since his former visit 

 to the upper Republican Valley, the writer, on August IT. and 18, 

 made a second trip to southwestern Xebraska. At this time vegeta- 

 tion was greatly improved in appearance and the hoppers were some- 

 what scattered as compared with two weeks before. 



The last trip of the month was made to northern Wyoming and 

 j^ortions of Montana, where last year considerable locust injury 

 occurred both in cultivated districts and on the ranges. While 

 locusts were this year normally abundant in the valley of the 

 Yellowstone River from a short distance above Billings nearly to 

 Livingston, their work was only occasionally perceptible from the 

 car windows. In this particular district the reports of greatest 

 injury came from Red Lodge and vicinity, not far from the Wyoming 

 line. Here the species concerned were chiefly Aidocara elliotti Thom., 

 A. femoratum Scudd., and several other plains-inhabiting species 

 like 'Melanoplus infantilis Scudd., M. occidentcdis Thom., J/, pach- 

 ardii Scudd., Cordillacris occijntalis Thom., and Mestohregma Jcioiua 

 Thom. Besides being infested with abnormal numbers of these 

 insects, the region in question, as well as much of the adjoining 

 territory, was badly affected by drought. These two causes com- 

 bined to render the grazing exceedingly poor. Considering the 

 dwindling in numbers from last year to the present time it seems 

 that the pest is quite certainly on the decrease, even in the district 

 of greatest abundance. 



August 23 to 25, inclusive, a drive was taken through the Galla- 

 tin valleys in company with President Reed and Professor Cooley of 

 the Montana Agricultural College. Xo locust injuries of importance 

 w^ere found, but in certain areas several species were present in num- 

 bers most certainly above normal for the district. There were two 

 species of Melanoplus. a form of atlanis and an undetermined species, 

 and Camnida fellucida Scudd. Last year a much more extended 

 district was overrun. Encojytolophus sordidus Burm., which was 

 abundant in 1903, was rare this year. 



A visit to Helena and the immediately adjoining regions showed 

 the various local species of locusts to be much below the normal in 

 abundance as compared with former years. 



AAliile no work was done in western Kansas and southeastern Colo- 

 rado, it was learned through others that some locust damage occurred 

 in the vicinity of Garden City, Kans., among the alfalfa fields, but 

 efforts at remedying the evil were being made. Machines were in use, 

 poisoning with the bran-arsenic mixture was regularly carried on, 

 and large flocks of turkeys were being employed to rid the fields of 

 the pest. 



