No. 104.] 95 



in a ring when withdrawn from their food, taken in connection with 

 their general appearance, gave evidence of their being cut-worms. 

 A third and a fourth molting occurred on the 21st and 25th of 

 May. Descriptions of the larva in each of its five stages were 

 taken, and will be given hereafter. 



By the 30th of May many of the larvEe had ceased feeding and 

 had evidently matured. The following day they were transterred 

 to a box of earth upon which a layer of plantain leaves had been 

 placed. When examination was next made on the 3d June, a 

 little feeding had been done. Four-fifths of the larvse were found 

 above ground, and the rest had buried themselves at different 

 depths — some just beneath the surface, showing a slight contraction 

 in length, indicating progress toward pupation. A few that had 

 been transferred to a separate box, with food, were still feeding on 

 June 4th. 



On the 5th of June, three newly disclosed pupjB were found 

 beneath leaves on the surface of the ground, of which descrip- 

 tion was taken. 



The first moths — eight in number — emerged from their pupse 

 on the 24th of June, and on the following day, eighteen others 

 made their appearance. The insect was found to be Agrotis saucia. 

 The last were disclosed June 30th, About one hundred and fifty 

 were carried through to their perfect stage. The species proved to 

 be very easy to rear, unlike most of the cut-worms — hardly any 

 fatality attending any of the several transformations. The moths 

 displayed a remarkable absence of timidity upon being disturbed. 

 With hardly any motion beyond the necessary readjustment of their 

 legs, they could be lifted from the ground upon which they rested or 

 from the sides of the box to which they were attached, by slipping 

 a piece of paper underneath them, from which they could be quietly 

 dropped into the cyanide bottle. If alarmed, they attempted escape 

 by running rather than by flight. 



Desiring to learn more of the occurrence of the eggs, I addressed 

 a request for the information to Mr. A. Oberndorf, Jr., of Ceutralia, 

 Kansas, from whom the eggs had been sent to Mr. Barry. The fol- 

 lowing communication was sent to me in reply, under date of May 

 20th : 



Up to the 17th inst. I have found the eggs on the twigs and bodies and 'branches, 

 of young apple, pear and peach trees, but have found none on old or bearing 

 trees. I found the eggs in batches, on twigs, in narrow strips from one inch to 

 three inches long, and about three-sixteenths of an inch broad; on branches, in 

 broader strips from one inch to two and one-half inches long and from one-fourth 

 to three-eighths of an inch broad; on the bodies of trees, usually about in this shape 

 and size [diagram given], and the eggs as close together as possible. I destroyed 

 every nest that I could find, but concluded last Sunday to leave two nests in a little 

 tree to see what they would do after being hatched. On Monday one half of the 

 cluster had changed from a light tan to a slate color, and yesterday evenmg that por- 

 tion had hatched, and a number of little caterpillars, about one-eighth of an inch 

 long, were wriggling about, but were gradually being carried away by the wind. 



