198 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



escape of the future moth the larva is careful not to cut entirely through, 

 but leaves a thin tissue-like skin unbroken, which the moth finally rup- 

 tures when it makes its escape. The body of the moth is about one-third 

 of an inch long, and its wings when spread measure about two-thirds of 

 an inch across ; the fore wings are of a plain brownish-buff color, with a 

 satin-like lustre ; the hind wings above and below, as also the under side 

 of the fore wings, are blackish-gray. 



This ins'.ct is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, and has long 

 been very destructive in France. It was introduced into the southern 

 portion of the United Stat'is more than jog years ago, where it has become 

 fully naturalized. It is often brought into New York in cargoes of grain, 

 but the climate of the Northern United States and Canada appears to be 

 too cold to permit it to thrive amongst us, or to permanently establish 

 itself It has never yet, to my knowledge, been found within the limits 

 of our Province. 



The Chinch Bug, which, although always present in our midst, has 

 happily never yet proved a serious trouble with us, has been very destruct- 

 ive to the corn crop in Missouri and Kansas, and combined with the 

 drought, has seriously affected the yield of this cereal in those States. 



The Army Worm has appeared during the season in some portions of 

 the West, and inflicted much damage ; and there were good reasons for 

 anticipating trouble from this source in our own Province next year, unless 

 the exceptional drought we have lately experienced, and which has been 

 generally looked upon as an unmitigated evil, should check their natural 

 increase. The Army Worm, in common with many other of our night- 

 flying moths, is double-brooded, but whether the later brood pass the 

 winter in the larval or chrysalis state has never been fully settled. It is 

 probable that with us the bulk of the brood pass the inclement season in 

 the larval condition, the young larva burrowing into the ground for pro- 

 tection during the extreme cold of winter. It has been observed by 

 Entomologists that an unusually wet season which induces a free growth 

 of vegetation is very favorable for the sustenance of these pests, and if 

 preceded by a dry autumn, which appears to have the effect of dissemin- 

 ating the moths over a wider area, the worms are often met with in great 

 abundance. During this summer the Army Worm moths ( Leucania 

 ■unipuficta ), which are always present with us to a greater or less extent, 

 have been unusually abundant in the western portion of our Province. 

 To the sugar-bait, employed by Entomologists to attract night-flying 



