LEPIDOPTERA. 319 



stroying the spindle of the Indian corn ; but its ravages generally 

 begin while the corn-stalk is young, and before the spindle rises 

 much above the tuft of leaves in which it is embosomed. The 

 mischief is discovered by the withering of the leaves, and, when 

 these are taken hold of, they may often be drawn out with the 

 included spindle. On examining the corn, a small hole may be 

 seen in the side of the leafy stalk, near the ground, penetrating 

 into the soft centre of the stalk, which, when cut open, will be 

 found to be perforated, both upwards and downwards, by a slen- 

 der worm-like caterpillar, whose excrementitious castings sur- 

 round the orifice of the hole. This caterpillar grows to the 

 length of an inch, or more, and to the thickness of a goose-quill. It 

 is smooth, and apparently naked, yellowish, with the head, the 

 top of the first and of the last rings black, and with a band across 

 each of the other rings, consisting of small, smooth, slightly ele- 

 vated, shining black dots, arranged in a double row. With a 

 magnifying glass a few short hairs can be seen on its body, arising 

 singly from the black dots. This mischievous caterpillar is not 

 confined to Indian corn, it attacks also the stems of the Dahlia, 

 as I am informed, both by Mr. Leonard, and by the Rev. J. L. 

 Russell, both of whom have observed its ravages in the stems of 

 this favorite flower. The chrysalis, which is lodged in the burrow 

 formed by the spindle-worm, is slender, but not quite so long in 

 proportion to its thickness as are those of most of the Nonagrians. 

 It is shining mahogany-brown, with the anterior edges of four of 

 the rings of the back roughened with little points, and four short 

 spines or hooks, turned upwards, on the hinder extremity of the 

 body. The moth produced from this insect differs from the 

 other Nonagrians somewhat in form, its fore-wings being shorter, 

 and more rounded at the tip. It may be called Gortyna* Zece, 

 the corn Gortyna ; Zta being the botanical name of Indian corn. 

 The fore-wings are rust-red ; they are mottled with gray, almost 

 in bands, uniting with the ordinary spots, which are also gray and 

 indistinct ; there is an irregular tawny spot near the tip, and on 

 the veins there are a few black dots. The hind-wings are yel- 



* Gortyna, in ancient geography, was the name of a city in Crete, so called 

 from its founder. 



