10 REPORTS OF OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS. 



way of remedying the evil must be done soon if we would expect to 

 escape future ravages from this source. Many of the common species, 

 like the red-legged locust (Melanoplus femur-rubrum), the two-striped 

 locust (Melanojplus bivittatus), and the differential locust (Melanoplus 

 differ entialis), and others of like nature, are becoming more and more 

 reconciled to "civilized ways" each succeeding year, and hence are bet- 

 ter enabled to withstand these conditions than are others. This being 

 true, they increase proportionately as the area embracing the conditions 

 under consideration enlarges. Other influences, of course, also either 

 favor or retard the increase of these particular species, iistheydo allied 

 forms ; but these influences seem to have less to do with the matter in 

 their case than in that of the majority of species. They are the "hardy 

 forms" of the family, and are capable of adapting themselves in their 

 life struggle to a greater amount of variation in climate, altitude, and 

 surface configuration. 



Several trips were made during the summer in connection with the 

 study of our destructive locusts. Besides the time thus spent, some 

 attention was given the subject here at home. One of these* trips was 

 made during the latter part of June to western Colorado, where I went to 

 examine into locust injuries in and about Grand Junction. Although 

 I reported at the time, I submit the following account of this trip for 

 your inspection : 



A Report on Locust Injuries in the Vicinity of Grand Junction, Colo. — 

 At the request of the Board of Trade of Grand Junction, I visited that 

 place during the month of June to examine into a plague of locusts that 

 were engaged in devastating the region about that city. After spend- 

 ing a week here I found the conditions to be about as follows : About 

 four years ago it was observed that grasshoppers were unusually abun- 

 dant on a piece of waste laud near the Grand Eiver, a little south of 

 the town of Fruita, which is situated about V2 miles west of Graud 

 Junction. As the 'hoppers had plenty of food and were not destroyed 

 by parasites or disturbed by the settlers or by birds to a sufficient extent 

 to reduce their numbers, and having suitable places for the deposition 

 of their eggs, the result is plain. The winter following the egg-laying 

 reported was favorable, and the following spring, being likewise favor- 

 able to the young, resulted in the spreading of the pest to several of the 

 surrounding farms, where they did some damage to crops and orchards. 

 Again nothing was done to diminish their numbers or to prevent their 

 injuries or their spread to new ground. The season was also favorable 

 to their development, egg-laying, and spreading. The opening of the 

 third year came, and in course of time the young hatched and began 

 their work upon the crops over a greatly extended area. Their injury 

 was quite extensive, in fact, and comprised both field crops and orchards. 

 This year many thousands of dollars' worth of property was destroyed 

 by them. The orchards in particular suffered from their depredations. 

 As the principal product of the region is fruit, the destruction of fruit 



