214 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



In proposing this vote, Mr. Fletcher said that he should like to make 

 a few remarks concerning some of the subjects alluded to in the address, 

 particularly with regard to the cut-worms referred to in the earlier part, 

 which he had especially investigated by instruction of the President, and 

 upon the occurrence of which he had prepared a short note for the 

 Society. He stated that the injury done by Agi'Otis fennica at Ottawa, in 

 the month of May last, was very great. He had received reports of its 

 ravages early in the month, and in all cases those inquiring for remedies 

 stated that the insects were new to them. The first specimens sent were 

 taken in large numbers under strawberry plants, and were about half an 

 inch in length. After a few days reports came in from all quarters, of 

 their devastation, which was worst about the 22nd May, when, the Presi- 

 dent being in Ottawa, he had, together with Mr. Harrington and himself, 

 visited one of the most seriously injured farms two miles from Ottawa, 

 where they had found the larvs in vast numbers attacking the clover in a 

 field of fodder, but leaving untouched the rye which was growing with it. 

 At first it was supposed by the farmers that the insect was the Army 

 Worm, but the larva upon examination was found to be quite different, 

 being of a deep velvety black with indistinct white lines. It was found to 

 be chiefly nocturnal in its habits, and to possess characteristics of the 

 ordinary cut-worms, lying hid beneath the surface during the day, and de- 

 stroying everything within its reach at night. They were also climb- 

 ing cut-worms, and had done much damage by eating out the leading 

 shoots in some young trees Mr. Fletcher was growing from the seed for 

 examination ; oak, black walnut, horse chestnut, elm, negundo and maple, 

 all had suffered. It seemed that during the last stage the larvse were 

 much more active during the day time, and did not hide under the sur- 

 face. Just before the pupal stage an enormous fatality was caused by a 

 fungus disease which attacked the larvse and which caused them to de- 

 cay very rapidly. In certain fields they could be seen in large numbers 

 on the stems of grass and other plants which they had crawled up, and to 

 which they were fixed by the fungus which seemed in nearly all cases to 

 develop just below the head in the shape of a small tuft of white downy 

 matter ; after a short time the bodies dried up. Large numbers had also 

 fallen a prey to parasites, and as many as three ovse of a Tachnia fly had 

 been found on some specimens. Mr. Fletcher had only succeeded in 

 rearing about a dozen imagines, nor had the moth been very common 

 during the summer, although a few had been taken. 



