REPORT OF A TRIP TO KAKSAS TO INVESTIGATE RE- 
PORTED DAMAGES FROM GRASSHOPPERS.* 
By Herbert Osborn, Special Agent. 
LETTER OF SUBMITTAL. 
Ames, Iowa, August 19, 1891. 
Sir : I heg to submit herewith my report of a trip, made in accordance with in- 
structions received July 21, 1891, to investigate reported damages by grasshoppers 
in Kansas during the current year. 
Very respectfully, 
Herbert Osborn. 
Prof. C. V. Riley, 
JJ. S. Entomologist. 
In accordance with instructions received July 24, to visit and report 
on grasshopper injury in western Kansas, I started the following 
morning for Kansas and improved every opportunity on the way to 
learn of grasshopper injury. At Des Moines, where I waited a few 
hours for the Kansas City train, I went through a large number of Kan- 
sas papers, kindly placed at my service in the office of the State Register 
and Ioiva Homestead, without, however, getting any information ex- 
cept assertions in some places that there were no hoppers in Kansas. 
From a gentleman lately through Arizona I learned of the appearance 
of considerable numbers in that Territory and the expectation that 
these might be traveling eastward. At Kansas City I Avas equally 
unsuccessful, the only information received there being the statement of 
railroad men as to the occurrence of hoppers on the railroad in Colo- 
rado (the case investigated by Professors Snow and Popenoe), and of 
some in Arizona, along the line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe 
Railroad. 
At Topeka I went first to the office of the State Board of Agriculture. 
The Secretary, Mr. Mohler, was absent, but the gentlemen present, 
Messrs. Longshore and Nyswander, kindly gave me a full statement as 
to the information the office contained. 
They receive reports from over six hundred correspondents who are 
scattered over the entire State, the western portion being well repre- 
* Eeprinted from Insect Life, vol. iv, p. 49. 
5.8 
