84: THE EEPORT OF THE N"o. 36 



Me. Gibson : I was interested in Mr. Caesar's remarks on the Cotton Moth. 

 A few weeks ago I had a letter from Mr. Calvert, of the Normal School, London, 

 Ont., enclosing two photographs of Cotton Moths which had been taken at London, 

 with a report that the insect had been enormously abundant. The moth was noticed 

 at Ottawa on October 15th, but only in small numbers. When in New York City, 

 in the middle of last month, I saw a flight of this moth. Thousands of specimens 

 were present in Broadway, flying into restaurants and other brightly lighted places, 

 where they could obtain an entrance. 



Dr. Hewitt: In reference to the Cotton Moth, I just received this morning a 

 note from Dr. William Saunders, late Director of the Experimental Farms, who 

 was one of the original founders of the Society, but who was unfortunately com- 

 pelled to discontinue an active interest on account of increasing duties. He en- 

 closes a short interesting paper on the Cotton Moth, and he has asked me to com- 

 municate it to the Society. Further, he wishes to he kindly remembered to any 

 members of the Society who may inquire of liim. (Dr. W. Saunders' paper was 

 then read by Dr. Hewitt.) 



AN INVASION OF COTTON MOTHS. 

 Wm. Saunders, C.M.G., London. Ont. 



On the night of Thursday, October 10th, 1912, there appeared about the elec- 

 tric lights at the station of the 'Canadian Pacific Eailway in London, Ont., a great 

 swarm of moths of the Cotton Leaf Caterpillar {Alabama argillacea Hbn.) About 

 the electric lamps the air was laden with the moths, which were estimated by those 

 who saw them at two inches or more in depth on the floors of the railway station. 

 The following night, Friday, October 11, they appeared again in great numbers, 

 when the enclosed photograph was taken, which, although showing them in de- 

 creased numbers, is convincing evidence of the formidable character of the inva- 

 sion. (Photograph passed around at meeting.) I heard of the arrival of the in- 

 sects on Friday night, when, on looking through the rooms of my bouse, we cap- 

 tured four specimens of the moth. As this was nearly half a mile from the railway 

 station it shows that they had found their way into buildings for some distance 

 from the main point of their occurrence. 



I was not able to visit the scene of their great abundance until Saturday 

 morning, when I found the sidewalks and the ground about the electric lights 

 strewn thickly with the dead moths. It was not easy to make even an approximate 

 estimate of their numbers, but under one of the electric lights where the moths had 

 been very abundant I should not think that 10,000 or even 50,000 an excessive 

 estimate. 



I found living specimens in good condition hiding in sheltered spots about the 

 windows and doors of the station ; on one window I counted 24, all good specimens. 



In a letter from my son. Dr. A. P. Seunders, written Oct. 11, 1912, from 

 Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, he says : 



" W;e had an invasion here in Clinton on Oct. 6th of the Cotton Moth {Ala- 

 hama argUlacea) ; they came just before dawn. The night watchman told me he 

 could not see the electric light for the moths. When I got down town about noon 



