THE CODLING MOTH. 155 



egg laying. This is no truer of fowls than of all our higher animals, even to the 

 genus homo. Now, Dr. LeBaron claims to have discovered such gradations of 

 size in the ova of the codling moth, and thus reasons that the moth, under 

 normal conditions, doubtless lives for quite a period that the lesser ova may 

 develop. I have been unable to find such gradations in the size of the ova, 

 even Avith a high power. If their longevity is greater than one week, it seems 

 strange that they die so soon in confinement, as moths and butterflies, if vir- 

 gins, will often, aye generally, outlive their sisters who are subject to the usual 

 conditions. I have myself confirmed the truth demonstrated by the renowned 

 Eeamur, who kept a virgin butterfly for two years in his hot-house, by keeping 

 virgin moths alive for weeks, when in nature they would scarce have lived 

 so many days. Hence from analogy we would pronounce the moth as short- 

 lived. After all. Dr. LeBaron may be right. Positive exj^eriment, not induc- 

 tion, settles points in natural history. We shall speak again as to these dif- 

 ferent sized eggs and their bearing on the longevity of moths in the sequel. 



WHEK AIsD WHERE THE SPRIIs'G MOTHS LAY THEIR EGGS. 



As we have seen, the spring moths are extant from the time the trees blos- 

 som till the very last of June. So we may say that egg-laying by these moths 

 commences as soon as the young fruit forms, and continues through June. 



These eggs are, with scarce a single exception, placed on the calyx or blow 

 of the young fruit. During the last of May of the past season I found num- 

 bers of these tiny eggs thus placed, and showed them to my pupils. If farther 

 argument was needed on this point, we have it in the persistent path of entry 

 of the young larva, which is invariably by the withered blossom of the fruit to 

 the core. 



Another question of much interest relates to the number of eggs deposited 

 in each apple. Here one can answer with positive certainty that only one egg 

 to an apple is the rule with the codling moth. Upon very thorough examina- 

 tion during the past season, I never found two eggs on the same fruit. Again, 

 very early in the season I never found two larvoe in the same apple ; and when 

 later I did find two larvas in a single fruit, one was invariably smaller, a point 

 which has been remarked by many entomologists. This smaller larvee was 

 evidently from another mother. "Why the moth thus scatters destruction so 

 broadly can but be conjectural. Professor LeBaron suggests that early the 

 apples are so small that two larvae would find too great a struggle for life, hence 

 it may be that natural selection has developed this peculiar instinct. That 

 this same practice should adhere later, when the necessity has disappeared, 

 would argue that instinct, not reason, was the controlling power. 



THE EARLY LARViE. 



After about a week, the time varying slightly with the season, the eggs hatch, 

 the young larva goes immediately to the heart of the apple, where it has a very 

 safe retreat in which to laugh and grow fat, being very successful at least in 

 the latter respect. After about four weeks of reveling in the rich apple pulp, 

 the mature larva leaves the apple, sometimes through the old opening of in- 

 gress, though far more frequently the opening for egress is through the side of 

 the apple which has been made previous to the tiihe of exit. While eating 

 the larva fills the space eaten out with its feces. These filthy droppings may 

 be seen in affected apples, forming a projection about the opening at the blos- 

 som, as also the opening where the larva is to escape. This exudation of fecal 



