22 
A small area is reported from tlie central part of Washington County, 
near Salubria, bnt to what extent they have been destructive I have 
not been able to learn. 
A region known as Camas Prairie, lying to the west o£ Wood Eiver 
in Alturas and Logan counties, seems to have suffered most. The per- 
manent breeding grounds seem to lie 20 to 40 miles south of the Camas 
Prairie, and when they have become too numerous to support them- 
selves in their usual haunts they strike out for pastures new, and it 
seems that this prairie got more than its share of the excess. D. G. 
Daugherty, of Soldier, writes me that — 
Three years ago we had a very few in our locality on the prairie, a few more the 
following year, and this year millions, covering almost every portion of our beautiful 
valley — the larger portion of thesame coming from pests that have been so numer- 
ous in the mountain range 20 to 40 miles south of the valley. 
On a visit to Wood Eiver, I had numerous reports verifying Mr. 
Daugherty's statement, and saw, from the foot of the mountains to 
Hailey, swarms of them, containing untold millions, devouring every 
green thing in their track. If there was nothing else for them to 
devour they would eat each other. It is not an uncommon sight to be 
able to count 20 clusters of insects where a half dozen or more had 
pounced on one of their number, and were proceeding to make a 
meal of him. It is a well-observed fact that whenever one gets dis- 
abled or injured in any way, his associates proceed to make a meal of 
him in short order. 
Those which hatched on the south side of the mountains, especially 
if a little distance on the plains, when they were ready to migrate, took 
a south or southwest course, and by the first of August had nearly 
all crossed the Union Pacific Eailroad and were well on the way toward 
Snake Elver. I was told by a farmer at Bisuka that they had then, 
July 21, been depositing eggs about his place, but the insects had 
passed on and wholly disappeared from the vicinity. Eggs were being 
deposited freely at Hailey August 2, and at Picawbo, 20 miles south, 
August 5, as observed by me personally. 
1 could see no signs of disease amongst them, nor parasites other 
than Eed Mites; very abundant at Hailey, but few perceptible on those 
at Picawbo. A newspaper correspondent, writing to the Boise States- 
man from Glenn's Ferry, reported the insects dying from some unknown 
disease. Also, Mr. Daugherty, above quoted, says: 
At Fir Grove, 12 miles south of this point, and located at the south line of foot- 
hills, parties recently report that the crickets are dying off by millions from dis- 
ease : and same report comes from points farther south. 
I had not the opportunity nor time to investigate the truth of these 
reports. It occurred to me that possibly it might be that these were 
early swarms which had oviposited and were dying from natural 
causes; as to the south, where there was but little snow, they hatched 
a month or more before those in the mountains. 
