31 



from its leaf b}' a fine silken thread. After it has attained to maturity it descends to the 

 ground, and crawling into any crevice or other place of concealment, forms a slight silken 

 cocoon and changes into the chrysalis state. In this condition it remains for a fortnight 

 Fig 23. or three weeks, and then comes forth at 



the end of June or early in July as a dusky 

 brown moth, measuring an inch and a quar- 

 ter across its expanded wings. The fore- 

 wings are marbled with gray beyond the 

 middle, and have a distinct gray spot on the 

 tip ; they are crossed by two wavy blackish 

 lines, one near the middle and the other near the outer hind margin. These lines are 

 formed by little elevated black tufts, and there are also two similar tufts on the middle of 

 ilie wing. The hind wings are dusky brown or light brown, with a pale fringe, and are 

 without bands or spots." — (Harris). A peculiarity of the insect, from wliich it. derives 

 its common name of "Snout-Moth," is that it has a pair of very long and slender com- 

 pressed palpi or feelei-s, which project fmni the head in the form of a snout. The accom- 

 panying wood-cnt (Fig. 23) represents tlie creature in all its stages. There are two broods 

 in the year; the caterpillars of the second appear in July and August, and attain to the 

 imago state in September. 



This insect is rather variable in its appearance, but is oftentimes excessivel)' destructive. 

 In 1869 we observed two Hojvyards in the County of Peel almost ruined by it, while in 

 the preceding and succeeding years no great number of the caterpillars was to be seen. 

 Dr. Fitch considers it " the most universal and formidable of the depredators of the Hop, 

 making its appearance suddenly, in a few days sometimes, and before their presence is 

 noticeil completely ri IJling and destroying the leaves of whole fields." la Europe there 

 is a similar insect, termed the Be;iked Snout Moth {Hypena Rostrcdix, Linn), which may be 

 identical with our species ; probably, indeed, our insect, like so many of our greatest 

 pests, has been introduced from tlie other side of the Atlantic. 



The most apjiroved remedy for the insect is to drench the vines with strong soap- 

 suds. To shower them with j owdered white hellebore mixed in water — an ounce of the 

 drug to a pailful of water — would, we should thiuk, be even more etfective. Much might 

 also be done by jarring the poles among which the Hops are entwined, and crushing 

 under foot all the caterpillars that fall to the ground. 



3. The Semicolon Buttekfly. {Grapta interrogalionis, Godt.) 

 Lepidoptera — Nymphalid.!:. 



The two species already described are by far the worst insect enemies that the hop-grower 

 has to deal with. The others to which we now desire to draw attention are seldom found 

 in sufficiently large numbers to cause much alarm, though at times their depredations are 

 somewhat serious, especially when tlu-j- attack a few hop vines in a garden. 



The species before us. the Semicolon Butterfl}' (Grajitu inlerrogalionU, Godt), is a large 

 handsome insect, with wings al)ove of a tawny orange colour, spotteil with black and 

 brown ; beneath, the wings are in some specimens rusty red, in others marbled with red 

 and brown tints ; in the middle of the underside of the hind wings thi-reis a conspicuous 

 silvery mark, shaped like a small semicolon (;), from which the speciesderives its name. The 

 mndern semicolon is employed in tiie Greek language as the mark of interrogation ; hence 

 both common and technical specific names have the same meaning and retVr to thesamechar- 

 aoteristic. The wings of this butterfly measure, when expamled, as much ;is two and a half 

 In three inches. There are two broods of them in the year, the first late in June, the other 

 ill August. 



The larva feeds upon the leaves of the i-Ira and bafswood, as welb ;is upon the hop. 

 When partially grown, in the early part of .\ugust, it is thus described by our frien i Mr. 

 Saunders:* — " Length, half an inch. Head black; body above, black, with transverse 



'Canadian Sntomalogut, vol. 1, p. 7ti. 



