404 



inarUcd lengthwise, willi small iiileiTiipted dusky lines; llie sides !)la(:kisli 

 with a pale liiii' uloiig the length ut' (he body; tiiere are two white spots on 

 the last segment of the body: the abdomen or nnder .side is ash roloured." 

 The chrysalis state, he a<l(ls, is entered upon in twenty-fonr hours alter the 

 larva has penetrated the earlli; "and it a[)pears that the insect is soon per- 

 fect, since a course of warm weather has been I'onnd to raise some of them 

 from the earth in the month of November." (Here lie evidently confounds 

 the autumnal species with vernota.) "The body of the male is of an ashen- 

 umber colour, almost five lines in length, extent of its upper wings one 

 inch, two lines. The wings are ash coloured, v\ith thrt-e oi)scure blackish 

 transverse stripes, and a small dash (;f the same colour at the tip. The 

 under wings are of an unifoi'in colour, and rather lighter than the ground of 

 the upper ones. The body of the female is nearly four lines in length, ash- 

 coloured, and marked on the back with a brown list extending from the 

 thorax to the tail. She is destitute of w'ings. Legs dusky, with white joints.'' 



Peck's diagnosis is as follows: — "Plialcena (ve.rnata*') geonictra seticorniy, 

 alis cinereis ; fasciis tr'tbus obscaris Juscia, posllcis iininacukitis; feminaaptpniP 

 The canker-worm is said by Peck to have been first observed in the Southern 

 States, where it is probably a native, and may have l)een introduced 

 into New England by the importation ot trees from the Southern States. 

 "It has been discovered on a plum tree." j\[r. Peck made his observations 

 in Kittery, Me. We have never observed it in Brunswick, Me., during 

 several years' observations; lint in 1875 it was said to be, l()r the first time, 

 injurious in orchards in that town. Whil(> Peck"s idea that it is a southern 

 importation is probably incorrect, it is [)robable that it is indigenous to all 

 parts of the country east of the Mississippi, as we have specimens from 

 Texas, and as l;ir north as Sonlheasteni iMaine, l)u1 is abundant only locally 

 originally along the coast of Northeastern Massachusetts, and of late years 

 in Illinois and ^lissouri. 



Its native food-plant is the elm, and, according to Mr. .John Sears, of 

 Danvers, I\Iass., the lilack ash, l)oth in deep v\'oods and in the open meadow, 

 as he has found the females ascending the trees; but it is usually more 

 destriu-live to the apple and at times the cherry. In iV])ril, ISTn, I noticed 

 pai'licnlaily ./. rcnuda in ui)' garden; none had appeared belore the lOfli 

 and 11th, the season having been a very backward one. During these 

 two days, which were warm and fine, I counted about one thousand males 



" " From its apiie.aring early in (ho spring." 



