874 Journal of Agricultural Research vol. vi. No. 23 



blossoms were picked and put in fresh each day. A variety of plants 

 in small pots were placed in the cages, and as some of these blossomed, 

 it is probable that they would furnish more or less nectar on which the 

 moths might feed. The general condition in these cages certainly more 

 closely simulated complete liberty than could have been provided in the 

 insectary. 



The writer was at first much disappointed in the results obtained, 

 for by repeated examinations of the vegetation which had been placed 

 in the cages, he was unable to find any eggs. The moths lived on, 

 however, and served a very valuable purpose in indicating that the 

 normal life of the moth in the open might be much longer than had been 

 thought. While the moths gradually died off during the summer, 

 many were alive on August 16, and several were seen as late as September 

 21. A pair was seen in copulation on August 10. Since no eggs had 

 been found in the cages, the fact that the moths lived on until so late 

 also suggested that perhaps the period between the emergence of the 

 adult and oviposition might be much longer than had been suspected. 

 The writer therefore determined to look for the moths in the fields late 

 in the summer. 



After eggs had been found in the field, as recorded below, a very 



careful search on the soil in the cages was made, but without finding 



any eggs. 



FIELD OBSERVATIONS IN 1915 



During the season of 191 5 the writer had an especially good oppor- 

 tunity to make observations in the field in connection with various trips 

 to different parts of the State to aid farmers in the control of the cutworm 

 and to collect material for the cages at Bozeman. 



All through the summer, since some of the moths were still alive in 

 the cages, the moths in the field or any clue that might indicate the 

 time and place of egg laying were looked for. No moths were seen, 

 except in or near fields which had been damaged, and even there none 

 could be found a few weeks after the emergence of the moths. On 

 July 16 and 17, moths were seen in great abundance at Willow Creek 

 and were found hiding under clods of earth in the grain fields. At this 

 time the last of the moths were just emerging, and some pupae could yet 

 be found. The same field was visited again on August 3, but no living 

 moths could be found. Since the previous visit there had been a heavy 

 rain, and by turning over clods of soil, many dead moths were found 

 which had been trapped there. Since moths had been found so abun- 

 dantly in this locality on July 16 and 17, it was thought that eggs also 

 might be found. A careful, extended search, however, revealed none. 

 Another search for eggs and young cutworms was made in this locality 

 on September 21, but was entirely without results. 



On July 17, the headlights of an automobile were used in the evening 

 in an attempt to attract the moths in the field, but without much success. 



