New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-25
INSECT RAyAGES.
THE FIELD LAHOEs OBJ THE LOCUST COMMISSION
OVER FOR TIE YEAR-A REPORT N rAEpAE-
ALTON.


IBY TELEGRAPH To TIRE TRrBUNE.l
WAsHINGION, Dec. 24.-The United states Com
mission which was organized for the purpose Of in
vestigatiug the subject of insect rayages in the
West aud OF dcyisug a remedy for the evil. has i'm
ishcd its field labor, for The year. Its members Will
soon assemble in this city to complete their annual
report TO Congress.
This report viii make a volume Of about 800
PAGES 1t will be ready for distribution in February
or March. In its preparation each member of the
Commission has already written a section upon
some particular branch of the general subject and
these sections alter revision by the whole commits
sion will form the chapters Of the report The first
publication. which is intended manly for the Use of
farmers, will be followed by documents of more
purely scientific nature. One Will be By DR.. Pack
ard on anatomy and embryology. One Will be by
Professor Riley on the natural history OF locusts,
and another by Professor Thomas the classihca-
ton of the acrydIa.
While 1t has been the object of the commission to
cover as much ground possible, there yet remain
several important subjects which it has f,r been
impossible properly and exhaustyely to study. The
territory affected is vast, embracing over a
million square miles, that much of it, especial
ly in the Northwest, was imperfect
" explored. Professor Riley had to cut
short hrs investigations in British America, both for
want of time and lack Of funds. For SIMILAR rea-
sons and on account of Indian troubles, Montana,
Wyoming and Dakota were only specifically oX-
pored. The year 1877 an unusual one. That
is. this insect had IN the previous year
overrun a great section of country in which
il had never before made its appearance
and last Spring great numbers Of the
eggs deposited were Matched. This enabled the
Commission to study carefully the insects in this,
ments with a view of learning how to control them.
Much Of the work of the Commission was among
those young insects and it interfered to some ex-
tent with the needed investigations IN the
native home and breeding grounds OF the
locust. These are subjects which can only
be properly studied during normal
year. 1t is therefore considered important that the
investigations be continued during the next two
seasons and TO this end the Commission recommends
that the appropriation of $4,000, asked Tor last
wear be continued. For the proper solution of some
of the questions under consideration, the co0pera-
ton of the Dominion Government is desirable, and
has been promised by the Canadian authorities, if
the work of the Commission should continue.
Among other interesting questions to be treated
Of in the report the migratory habits Of the locust
will be described, showing, that like many other
species of birds, these insects journey at certain
fixed seasons, southwark, ana al certain other
seasons return to the places of their origin. These
mirations being fOreseen, steps may be taken to
protect from their Tayages the fields which lie I'M
der their line Of fight Many methods of accom-
plshIng this are suggested, some OF the most eec-
tive of which are the direct fruit of the researches
aud experiments made by this Commission.
In il shown that the destructive prOpensities Of
these pests can, by timely precautions be practl-
c1IIv ncutraliZed. The definite limits beyond which
the lOcusts have not yentured, are carefully fixed
and the crops which most liable 10 destruction,
and the best methods of procedure with regard 10
fine protection 81 each, are specifically given. The
insert feeding habits are treated OF at great length,
and form an interesting feature of the report The
examination of the stOmachs of more than ninety
spe.ies and $50 specimens were made with special
references to this subject and the value hitherto
Dlaced on these aids by entOmOlOgsts Is fully sus-
stained by the results now arrived at.
Amorg the discoveries made by the Commission,
those relating 10 the habits of the silky mite and OF
the blister beetles will be Of interest to entOmoo-
gists The former is eight-legged creature which
nreys on the locust eggs. Ii proved to be the ma
fnre form of the little siXegged mite which Is par
esitic TO the locust. OF the larval habits
of the blister beetle nothing has heretofore
been known, Notwithstanding that the attention
Of scientific has been directed to the matter for
many wears both on account of It's value IN COM
merce under the name Of the Spanish fly aud OF the
injury il causes 10 potatoes and some other plants
MANY facts of interest with regard 10 the origin and
hal s of this insect have been discovered and viii
be made the subject Of a chapter III the report.