1907 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



99 



which sucks out the sap of the plant and greatly reduces its vitality ; in these 

 cases the blight might be caused by the insects' attack. But in the majority 

 of examples which we have received and examined there was no trace of any 

 injury by insects nor of any fungus disease. Specimens examined at the 

 Bacteriological laboratory were also found to be free from any disease of a 

 bacterial character. The conclusion was therefore arrived at that the blight 

 was due almost entirely to atmospheric conditions, namely, late frosts in 

 some localities, and in others cold, almost frosty, nights succeeded by bright, 

 sunny days. The very late season evidently contributed to the injury, as 

 the crop generally did not possess the vigor and vitality which would enable 

 it to withstand the elfects of occasional unfavorable weather. 



REMAEKABLE OUTBREAK OF THE VARIEGATED CUTWORM. 



By C. J. S. Betiiune, Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph. 



On the evening of the 25th of July, a telephone message from Leamington 

 was received at the Ontario Agricultural College urgently asking for help 

 against a worm that was devouring everything before it. As no information was 

 supplied that gave any clue to the identity of the depredator, an arrange- 

 ment was at once made by the Department of Entomology to send to Leam- 

 ington Mr. Csesar, a fourth year student, and Mr. McMeans who is in charge 

 of the vegetable gardens. They left the next morning and on the following 

 evening Mr. McMeans brought me back specimens, which proved to be the 

 Variegated Cutworm (Peridroma sancia), and gave me an account of the rav- 

 ages of the insect and the advice that was given to the farmers whose crops 



Fig. 32. Peridroma Saucia ; a, moth ; b, normal form of larva, lateral view ; c, same in curved 

 position ; d, dark form, dorsal view ; e, egg from side ; /, egg mass on twig (after Howard, 

 Division of Entomology, U. S. Dept. Agriculture). 



were being attacked. Mr. Csesar, who remained longer, subsequently gave 

 me the more detailed report which is appended hereto. The outbreak is 

 very remarkable, as nothing similar has been recorded since the year 1900, 

 when these cutworms appeared in enormous numbers in British Columbia 

 and the neighboring Pacific Coast States and were unusually abundant in 



