CRANBERRIES — INSECT PESTS. 175 



scarcely n worm to be found anywhere upon the whole bog. 

 The crop of berries was rather small but fair. 



I would add, here, a word in favor of tobacco decoction 

 for destroying these pests, and against paris green. The 

 latter, being an arsenite of copper, some small portion of the 

 arsenic onusi become more or less soluble ; hence the danger 

 attendant upon the free use of such a deadly compound even 

 with the most careful manager. 



In support of the theory that there might be five or even 

 six species of worms attacking the cranberry, all of which 

 bore certain resemblances to each other, but which were yet 

 distinct species, I have examined the new work of Mr. 

 William Saunders, on " Insects injurious to Fruits," and find 

 that he there (p. 368, etc.) mentions four species of Tortrid 

 moths as affecting the cranberry vines, and one as affecting 

 the berry — making five in all ; yet of one of these, described 

 as Teras oxycoccana, (Pack.) or The Glistening Cranberry 

 Moth, he sa^^s : " This moth, the larva of which is said to 

 feed on cranberry vines ; " and further on, "the caterpillar 

 Has not been described." It may not be doing injustice to 

 the person originating the idea that this species feeds upon 

 the cranberry vine, to suggest the possibility of mistaking 

 for an injurious species one whose habits were not fully 

 known, and whose caterpillar had not been fully identified; 

 since many moths, probal>ly in no way injurious, may alight, 

 and often in large numbers, in a cultivated field of any kind ; 

 while the probability of identifying either moths with cat- 

 erpillars, or vice versa, without most positive, close observ- 

 ation, if not actually rearing the larvae, is very, very small. 

 It is safe to say, then, that this species is a doubtful 

 "pest" of the cranberry vine, at least until more evidence 

 shall be shed upon it by some enthusiastic collector or in- 

 vestigator. 



With regard to the other three species afiecting the foli- 

 age, I believe still more uncertainty exists ; of one thing, 

 however, I am certain.- I have examined between twentv 

 and thirty caterpillars, old and young, sent me from Dr. 

 Briggs' cranberry bog, and have found so complete a series 

 varying in length from one-eighth to nearly one-half an 

 inch ; in color from greenish and bluish to pure or creamy 



