ENTOMOLOGY. 65 



Climhlng cuUcormH (pp. 501-584). — Under this bead are discussed sev- 

 eral species of cutworms with the climbing habit, spending- the day in 

 the ground at the bases of trees and at night ascending the trunks and 

 feeding upon the buds and leaves until nearly daylight. A large variety 

 of shade and fruit trees are attacked by climbing cutworms, as are also 

 small fruits, grapevines, and various flowers, especially roses and chrys- 

 anthemums. Among fruit trees, peaches have experienced most dam- 

 age, perhaps because of their being extensively grown on the sandy 

 soils, where cutworms flourish best. A list is given of 12 species of cut- 

 worms that have been noted as possessing the climbing habit, and it is 

 believed that other species would assume it under favorable conditions. 

 The greatest damage to jjeach trees has occurred along the shore of 

 Lake Ontario, where in some instances the attacks of cutworms have 

 been so severe that on still nights their feeding has produced a dis- 

 tinctly audible nipping sound. Each cutworm destroys several buds 

 in a night, and when a luimber of caterpillars ascend a young tree it is 

 soon killed or its growth distorted and stunted. Where the buds are 

 few the branches are often girdled through the bark being gnawed. 

 During the daytime these cutworms bury themselves in the sand about 

 an inch below the surface, usually within a radius of a foot from the 

 base of a tree. As many as 50 cutworms have been found at one time 

 on a year-old tree and 120 on a 2-year-old tree. The history and dis- 

 tribution, description, habits, life history, and illustrations taken from 

 photographs are given for the white cutworm {Carnearles sca7ide)is-), 

 spotted-legged cutworm {Forosagrotis retn.sta), well-marked cutworm 

 {Xoctiid clandesfina), dingy cutworm {Feltia si(bgothica),aud variegated 

 cutworm {Peridroma saucia). Of these the white cutworm constituted 

 over 90 per cent of those that attacked peach trees in western Xew 

 York in 1S93 and 1894. The well-marked cutworm, dingy cutworm, 

 and si>otted-legged cutworm were next in respective abundance. The 

 variegated cutworm was not found attacking peach trees, but was 

 noticed several times damaging plants in greenhouses and gardens. 

 The most damage it accomplished was in attacking chrysanthemums, 

 which it did by eating into the blooms in a manner at first attributed 

 to mice. The variegated cutworm is believed to be a European species, 

 while the others described are of American origin. 



Row to combat cutworms (pp. 585-600). — The results of numerous 

 experiments carried on at the station for iireventing the ravages of cut- 

 worms are cited. Trapping the moths by means of sweet traps and 

 trap lanterns is believed to involve more labor and expense than the 

 results repay, besides destroying numbers of beneficial insects, espe- 

 cially parasites. To combat climbing cutworms, clean cultivation is 

 advised, to keep out entirely all weeds and grasses upon which the eggs 

 are laid and the young cutworms feed. Clean cultivation for two or 

 three months after the middle of July, and the growing of some gar- 

 den or field crop in or near peach orchards to attract the moths and 



