48 THE EEPOET OF THE No. 3Q 



The head and thorax are black, entire surface except the wings minutely hairy, the 

 wing-covers are milk white, with a triangular black scutelluni between them in 

 front, the whitish area giving it roughly the form of the letter X. 



The first winged specimens were obtained August 11th, giving a life cycle of 

 54 days. Both species are single brooded, hibernating in the adult form. The 

 long-winged form differs from the short-winged type in that when most of them 

 have acquired wings flights of the adults occur, resulting in their dispersal through 

 the fields, and these flights were first observed Sept. 5th. and succeeding fine days. 



Habits. The eggs are usually deposited on the leaf-sheath or ligule, but 

 sometimes underground, on the finer roots. The newly-hatched larvae for about 

 the first week of tlieir existence feed on the tender roots below the surface, and 

 usually out of sight. They may so feed for a month, for I have taken specimens 

 very delicate in body and color, with the wing pads partly developed, and on ex- 

 posure to light they would turn nearly black, almost immediately, but this must 

 be regarded as exceptional. They seek the higher and drier portions of a field, for 

 a wet location is detrimental to Chinch Bug progress. Hence it is the poorer con- 

 dition a field is in the more liable it is to serious injury, as where the growth is 

 rank, or the crop in good health, little injury will result. 



Food Plants. The principal plants which have suffered most are the meadow 

 grasses generally; particularly is this true of timothy. Wheat, corn, and oats have 

 been very slightly injured, and in no case except where sueli a field was adjacent to 

 a meadow or pasture. This does not mean that they prefer the meadow grasses to 

 other crops, but simply that grain crops have been very scarce, and the succulent 

 nature of the grasses all through the summer has not caused them to migrate in 

 search of food. 



Area of Infestation. The infested area covers about 5 square miles, embracing 

 altogether about 1,800 acres of pasture and hay land. These are what may be 

 termed grass farms, where the greater part of the land is always in sod. On the 

 other hand, where a regular system of rotation has been followed, and the land 

 ploughed up every three or four years. Chinch Bugs were very scarce, except in a 

 small woodland pasture, which was not deemed advisable to cultivate. Under the 

 present system of grass farming. Chinch Bug injury is likely to be on the in- 

 crease, unless we should be favoured with an open winter, or a wet summer, as 

 heavy rains at hatching time are disastrous to Chinch Bug progress. Such a sea- 

 son as we have experienced this year has materially reduced their numbers. Wet 

 weather at hatching time was a severe check to undue increase, and this was fol- 

 lowed later on in the season, in September, by the appearance of the white fungus 

 Sporotrichuni glohiiliferum, which killed about 25 per cent, at least. 



The White Fungus. Inasmuch as the fungus is dependent upon suitable 

 meteorological conditions for its growth, it is sufficient to place it in the second or 

 third place as a suitable remedy for Chinch Bug extinction. In the latter part of 

 May I attempted to reproduce this fungus artificially. I am indebted to Mr. P. 

 A. Glenn, of the Illinois Experiment Station, for a pure culture of this fungus. 

 Suitable tight boxes were taken, approximately 2 ft. long. 1 ft. .wide and 14 in. 

 high. Into these boxes soil direct from the field was introduced. In one box the 

 spores of the fungus were introduced and thoroughly mixed with the soil, while 

 the other was used as a check. It must be borne in mind that neither soil nor 

 boxes were sterilized. Two to three inches of soil Avas placed in ihe boxes, thoroughly 

 moistened and about half a pint of bugs introduced to each box, and fresh food was 



