New-York tribune., 1878-05-04

swarms tha. Devastate the Mississippi Country
Refor, 1876 little was known accurately about the
locust of the West and especially little as to It's move
ments today we In possession OF mucn aosouIe
knowledge OF its habits movements, ana hatura history
The destructive and migratory species tCdfopte""S
sDrcs ThOs) affects three regions The nrst Oh these
the permanent native breedngSrounu east oi
the mountains embraces the vast plains OF the North
west. between latitude 80 and $50 and reaching aDout
the l02d meridian extending over about as large an
area moth or south OF United States boundary line
OF the main range there more restricted areas
such the Snake River Cache and Maade valleys ihe
floral and climatic conditions are similar In all TINS vase
region; the Summers dry and intense the winters
long and the atmosphere raie and the veeeta-
zion general sparse. 1t is mainly borea region tho
Rocky Mountain locust Is in its natural range Doreal
insect The prevailing winds there when the insect IS
attaining maturity and fu wing, are from the norIh-
causes for micrating are numerous but chiefly arise
from excessive muplicaton hunger drvingtb super
also seek new places to av hoir eggs order TO avoid
tho males during oviposon The locust Is the prey OF
insect enemies and to avoid these is doubtless driven
migrate The tachya-nes follow the lOcnsts In dense
swarus the latter only avoid their destroyers ny
rising high i'm air Bordering the permanent region pI
the locust there Is sub-permanent and comparatively
the east, where the insect can perpete
its suceossvey for some years, but IL eVehtuay
Tie fertile country bordering the regions spoken Of is
of vast extent. and affords temporary home ior be
swarms which devasate II NJ irregular intervals Bu,
the locust does not thrive in tns reG,on
and VIrgtes II within Tie last statement holhs
for all o the mountains anu south OF me ior
third parallel The western border anu me @ enIleue
northern portion paraLe more Oh tne seD-,eiih,V ' h
character In tie temporary region inc species pt
comes diseased ard cannot hoiu us own, a, ~ n1 u,
Mlssssipp Valley there is always return migration o
those insects that batch within IL and do not peflsh OF
disease or enemies before m tFy ggu reron II be-
gins IN April in Texas, and continues from more h9rH
crn Till about the middle Of July ana Is siGcl NY
the prevailing winds Of Arril, May ava june Wcn are
0,rGid the northwest; hut the movement u HslhcNe
amd not solely dependent the wind IL is not occi
TIorgh the insect travels in Summer from the North
west Territory Galveston Tex, and from the Rocky
Mountains To Central iowa. its excursions nave W.l
defined limit at the eastward approxinateiy aons INC
he drawn from The s9uth hern end OF Lake Wnnepeg 10
about twenty miIcs east Of ST. Paul. MIMI thence south
to storey County Iowa thence Westwhfdiy 10 Sorlh-
west Missouri thence to Pefts County, NO. tneice,
with considerable drectnces to tie extreme norhWeSt
Of Arkansas and from there to Galveston, Tex. lhe
c,lsrs OF his Limitation are chiefly atmospheric and eli
matte. The infcCt tIvGS best IN dry country ana IS
iiuriou,y affected by the Increasing moisture OF the at
III the territory over Nhlrh flhgcs c,la N'!u. ~.
line for the locust That which separates the npercu
subS,dinry evidence on tins point. Another feature OF
importance is the unWlnguess OF the insect To lay eggs
places where the eggs are laid become the breeding
grounds also OF the ocust'e enemies , ,.
$500. 100000 in the Western States and Territories.
From this estimate indirect loss Is excluded. Ihe
United states Chronological Commission feels author
izcd 20 farmers that there VIII be no serious III
jury from Ocuss this year. or for some years to come
largely modified thJ future. The essay Of Professor
Riley called fCrth warm cncOmium from Professor
,ul. Ar ng airy made by Professor Haldenan
whether there any change III the popular tendency
10 cal the insect grlssiOppcr Professor Illey Salu
that when he styled them lOcusts in hls earlier WORK
M the West. reoplr scarcely knew what he meant;
now they are beginning themselves to call the Insects
by that name.
zeal memoir, Of it, deceased members. These are AZ
forwards published. The memoirs for the April seq
sion were OF Professor u. H. SIahan, hy General Henry
J.. Abbott and Of Professor Jcfrics Wymnn, by Pro-
fcssOr A. Packard r. Professor Guyot read ~ the
Noycmher meeting the frat half OF his memoir OF Pro
fcssor Louis Agassz; Tie second part relating to the life
Of the great naturalist IN tins country was READ ast
week during an evening session Of the Academy.
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