182 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



invasion of St. Lawrence County, N. Y., and several of the adjoining 

 counties by the "army worm " was announced. It was stated that many 

 pastures had been completely ruined, and the entire destruction of the 

 pastures and meadows was threatened. Not having witnessed the oper- 

 ations of the army worm, he at once visited the infested locality. The 

 reports had not been exaggerated. The injury was widespread and 

 serious, already extending over eight of the northern counties. Hundreds 

 of acres of grass presented a brown appearance, as if they had been 

 winter killed. A pasture lot of fifty acres, which, ten days before, offered 

 good pasture, was burned so that in places not a blade of grass could be 

 seen to the square yard. Numerous dead caterpillars were adhering to 

 the dead stems of last year's grass, which it was believed had fallen vic- 

 tims to starvation. The upland pastures were first attacked. The pro- 

 gress was remarkably rapid ; entire fields were laid waste in ten or twelve 

 days. The secrecy of the depredations was remarkable. The larvffi had 

 seldom been seen, and never observed in active feeding. It was believed 

 by the farmers that they fed at night, or by drawing the blades of grass 

 into their subterranean retreats. In two instances the larvae were observed 

 in immense numbers, collected on the trunks of trees so that they could 

 have been scooped up by handfuls. 



The tree trunks were enveloped by a firm web of silk, spun by the 

 caterpillars, of so firm a consistence that it could be lifted up in a sheet 

 like a piece of woven silk. The cause of the congregation at this point 

 could only be conjectured. It was not for feeding on the foliage, for the 

 grasses alone were eaten by the caterpillars. 



The caterpillars observed and collected by Mr. Lintner were slender, 

 cyHndrical forms, sixteen footed, of an obscure greenish color, with a 

 shining black head. They were destitute of lines or other ornamentation, 

 except some warty spots on their upj)er side. Their average length was 

 three-fourths of an inch. He was unable to identify them with the army 

 worm, for they were quite unlike the mature form of that species, and 

 their habits seemed to be quite different. 



On the 6th of August the first moth emerged from some cocoons 

 furnished by Mr. J. Q. Adams, of Watertown, N. Y.,and it turned out to 

 be a Crambus vulgivagellus. 



The interesting question as to which of our insect depredators was 

 chargeable with the ravages in Northern New York was decided. The 

 new enemy was found to be an inconspicuous, hitherto unobtrusive little 



