100 



aud rhlajctliontiiis scrta, are frequently taken by these birds. There hardly 

 seems a doubt about the correctness of Mr. Elliott's observations, and I 

 give these facts in order to show their value. The catalpa is planted as 

 far north as extreme northern Indiana and Illinois, but the catalpa sphinx 

 does not occur north of about the latitude of Vincennes, in this State, 

 Flora, in Illinois and extreme southern LaA\Tfence County, in Ohio. On 

 the Atlantic Coast it is steadily working its way northward, being now 

 seriously abundant about I'hiladclphia, wliicli is in the latitude of Colum- 

 bus, Ohio, and almost that of Urbana, Illinois. It was abundant at Flora, 

 Illinois, as far back as 1875, but seems to have progressed no farther 

 northward. The insect has this peculiarity: The female will deposit to 

 the number of 1,000 eggs in a mass on a single leaf alid the young are for 

 a considerable time after hatching thoroughly gregarious, so that while a 

 single tree or a row of trees may lie defoliated by the larva^, other trees 

 in the neighborhood may entirely escnjie. This gives the enemies of the 

 larvae an opportunity to literally exterminate a colony In short order. 

 Mr. W. H. Edwards, a lepidopterist of Coalburgh, West Virginia, some 

 years ago, recorded the sudden aiiiH-arancc of this insect in his locality 

 for the first in 1S90. and the as sudden disappcnrance tlie following year. 



The catalpa sphinx is like its food plant, a southern species; the 

 Sphingidse are a tropical family for tliat matter, and it is interesting to 

 note that Judge Lawrence Jolnison observed the attacks of the Cuckoos, 

 both species, on these larvai in 1SS3, in Alabama. The Cat Bird and the 

 Baltimore Oriole are both known to feed upon them. 



Besides the birds there are several insect enemies of the catalpa 

 sphinx, two being species of Tachinid flies, Eiiphoroccra daripennis and 

 Front iiKi frcuchii. A Hymenopter, A pantries (■oii(/)-nj(itiis also destroys a 

 large numl)er of the larva^. As I found many of these caterpillars on 

 catalpa trees about Princeton, Indiana, late in August, 1902, with nu- 

 merous eggs of the Tachinid flies attached to their bodies, there is no 

 doubt but what they are doing their full share in keeping the insect in 

 check. 



I might say. in addition to tlie foregoing, that this Cuckoo is exceeding- 

 ly fond of another caterpillar. IiataiKi (iiiiiiisii. Avhich so frequently de- 

 foliates the walnut and hickory trees in midsummer. Here, too, we have 

 the work of the Tachinid flies previously mentioned, and while at Purdue 

 University, several years ago, I observed a case of excessive parasitism, 

 on the larvfc of a closely allied species, Datanu contructa, Ou four of the 



