Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1877.djvu/48

XLVI has also been prepared and published. This book is intended for distribution among collectors. A tentative classification of the linguistic families of the Indians of the United States has been made; this has been a work of great labor.

About the middle of May the surveying corps took the field. Five parties were organized: one to extend the triangulation, two for topographic purposes, one geological, and one for the classification of lands. Several minor parties were also organized. Some of these parties are still in the field. The region surveyed this year has been entirely within the Territory of Utah. The geographic parties have completed the survey of districts 86 and 75. The geological party has completed the survey of the volcanic plateaus above mentioned, and the party engaged in the classification of lands has extended its survey over the whole of the Territory of Utah except a small portion in the southwestern corner, and over about one-fourth of the Territory of Arizona. The computations for Utah are not yet completed; but it may be stated as a close approximation, that the area which can be redeemed by irrigation through the utilization of all the streams, but without the construction of reservoirs, is about 1,250,000 acres.

The surveys this year have been extended over large areas of good pine timber, the geographical distribution of which has been carefully determined.

Extensive and valuable coal-fields are embraced in the survey, and they have received much study.

Under act of Congress approved March 3, 1877, a commission was authorized to report upon the depredations of the Rocky Mountain locusts in the Western States and Territories, and the best practicable method of preventing their recurrence or guarding against their invasions.

The following gentlemen, well known for their scientific attainments, were appointed on the commission:

Prof. C. V. Riley, of Missouri.

Prof. Cyrus Thomas, of Illinois.

Prof. A. S. Packard, of Massachusetts.

The commissioners began their work in April, very soon after their appointment. Several thousand circulars were sent to persons in the locust area, and two bulletins in pamphlet form were issued, one containing full information regarding the preventive measures and direct remedies against the young locusts, for immediate use by farmers; the second bulletin contained an account of the habits of the locust, with many illustrations.

The locust area between longitude 94° and 120° was subdivided into three districts, one of which was assigned to each member, who at least once, and in some cases several times, visited important points