Packard.] THE P0PULATI0:N" OF AN APPLE TREE. 183 



leaden blue. The hind wings are dark ash bi'own. Beneath, 

 the fore ^Yings are not mottled, but uniformly dark ash 

 brown, and a shade lighter than the upper surface of the 

 hind wings. It expands about -55 of an inch. 



It varies in the distribution of the black spots, and in the 

 degree of angularity of the outer edge of the basal dark 

 portion of the fore wings ; and in some specimens the 

 middle of the wing is concolorous with the other parts, and 

 the peculiar leaden blue scales are scattered over the whole 

 wing, with a black patch on the inner third of the Aving near 

 the inner edge. In some specimens there are more than 

 four dots near the outer edge of the wing, forming a trans- 

 verse row. 



As these worms attack the fruit and leaf-buds, it is diffi- 

 cult to pick them off by the hand without injuring the buds ; 

 nor is it easy to apply whale-oil soap or a weak solution of 

 carbolic acid. Both of these remedies, however, should be 

 tried, especially showering the terminal branches of the tree 

 with soap suds or a very weak solution of carbolic acid. 

 A faithful application, for one season, of these and other 

 remedies, will materially lessen the numbers of this formid- 

 able pest. 



The Palmer Worm. — During the latter part of June, as 

 observed on the Hudson River, the leaves of the apple be- 

 come badly worm-eaten, with the remnants carelessl}^ sewn 

 together with fine silken threads. Wlieu the bunch of leaves 

 is disturbed, out scrambles a pale yellowish green cat(>rpil- 

 lar, with a dusky stripe along each side, edged above witli a 

 narroAV white stripe, and droi)s a few inches, hanging sus- 

 pended by a thread. This is the Palmer worm described 

 under the name of ChoitocJiibcs pometellas (Harris). 



This insect has not been of late years at all common in 

 our orchards. We ]»avc had no personal acquaintance with 

 it, and the following account of it is condensed from Fitch's 

 admirable description. There are insect years as well as 



23 



