25 
Shoshone; but how extensive these egg deposits were could ool be 
definitely ascertained at the time. If the main body of the locusts had 
moved on down the river as reported there were still plenty of them 
left behind to mark the line of march, although this could easily h. 
been detected without the presence of these stragglers. The bared 
fields arid cropped grasses on the range alone were sufficient to mark 
the line of march of the ravaging army. 
At first the locusts that were seen from the train at stations along 
the line of the railroad were mostly pellucida; but. as the mountains 
were approached, several species of Melanoplus were also noticed in 
considerable numbers. In the vicinity of Hailey the pest was quite 
apparent in the damaged condition of the grasses on the range, as well 
as in the appearance of the vegetation upon cultivated grounds. The 
scourge had passed through here before going down the river towards 
Shoshone; and, as appearances would indicate, this swarm divided at 
Spring Creek, a part of it going to the eastward towards the Lost Rivers 
and Birch Creek, all three of which streams with their valleys were 
reached by the moving hordes of hungry insects, the other portion, as 
already indicated, going down Wood River past Shoshone. 
A stage -ride of 31 miles across the mountain and valley brings one to 
the town of Soldier in the center of the rich Camas Prairie country — 
a valley of considerable extent and wonderful fertility. This valley 
has been the cradle for the present locust plague which is now spread- 
ing over the surrounding portions of the State. Five years have 
elapsed since the insect was first observed on the prairie in destructive 
numbers, but with each successive year the plague has greatly increased 
and spread over more territory. At first the pest covered but a few 
square miles of country and did but little damage; the next year it 
became noticeably more numerous and began moving outwards in vari- 
ous directions from the center of its hatching place, and much more 
damage was done both to grasses and to grain and other cultivated 
crops then growing upon the fields of the few settlers who had located 
and started homes for themselves in the valley. Even at this time it 
would have been possible to have exterminated the pest in the valley 
had only a few determined persons attempted to do so. By the time 
the third summer hadcome and gone, along with its increase in the num- 
bers of locusts present and the amount of damage wrought, the settlers 
began to become discouraged. Still no efforts whatever were made to- 
wards mitigating the evil. This third year of the pest wasa notable one. 
since just before egg-laying time arrived every single hopper was re- 
ported to have left the low lands in the valley for the foothills adjoin- 
ing, where they laid their eggs. As most of the insects moved in a 
northeasterly direction when leaving the valley, this movement gave 
some new hopes to the, by this time, nearly discouraged settlers, tor it 
was hoped that instead of reentering the valley the young, upon hatching 
the following spring, would pass on to the northeastward. The ensuing 
