94 [ASBEMBLT 



INSECT ATTACKS AND MISCELLANEOUS OBSEEVA- 



TIONS. 



Eggs of a Cut- worm on an Apple-teee. 



From Mr. P. Barrv of the Mount Hope Nurseries at Rochester, 

 N. Y,, some apple twigs eontaininiy an eo;g-deposit from whicli tlie 

 larviB were emerging, were received on May 7th. The eggs had been 

 sent to him for name, from Centralia, Kansas. 



The general appearance and the arrangement of the eggs resembled 

 the figure given by Prof. Riley in the Report of the Commissioner 

 of Agriculture for the year 18S4, plate 3, fig. 2, of the eggs of one 

 of our common cut-worms, Agrotis saucia Engr., identical with the 

 Agrotis ijiermis of Dr. Harris. The moth was known to deposit 

 its eggs upon fruit-trees. 



The twigs bearing the eggs were quite small, not exceeding one-* 

 sixth of an inch in diameter. The eggs were closely and symmetri- 

 cally arranged in a single layer in regular rows joined to one an- 

 other, forming an unbroken patch. In one example there were 

 seven rows of about sixty eggs in each, extending over about an 

 inch and a half of the twig. The eggs, upon the point of hatching, 

 were of a lavender color. They were round, with about forty sharp 

 and prominent longitudinal ribs, which were connected somewhat 

 irregularly with numerous transverse lines. 



The larvse of some of the clusters had left the eggs when received. 

 They had but three pairs of prolegs, and looped in walking, after 

 the manner of the Geometridce. In dropping from the twig, they 

 hung suspended by a thread that they gave forth. When disturbed 

 they would often twist their head and several segments over their 

 back, holding to the surface upon which they rested by their last 

 two pairs of prolegs. 



Grass was offered them of which they readily ate and with ap- 

 parent relish. Some tips of apple-twigs being given them, a few 

 of them fed sparingly npon them, eating small holes into one sur- 

 face of the unfolding leaves, but much the larger portion continued 

 their feeding upon tlie grass. 



On the l-Ith of May some of the caterpillars were observed to 

 have undergone their first molting, and to have acquired in the opera- 

 tion an additional ]")air of prolegs. Four days later the second 

 moltmg commenced, developing another pair of prolegs, and giving 

 the normal number of five pairs belonging to the Noctiiidce. 



Subsequent to this molt and onward to maturity, the brood was 

 fed on plantain leaves {Plantago major), for which they manifested 

 a great fondness. They were not easily disturbed in their feed- 

 ing when brought under observation. Their manner of curling up 



