LEPIDOPTERA. 339 



depredations of one of these Nonagrians, known to our farmers 

 by the name of the spindle-worm. The Rev. L. W. Leonard 

 has favored me with a specimen of this insect, its chrysalis, 

 and its moth, together with some remarks upon its habits ; 

 and the latter have also been described to me by an intelligent 

 friend, conversant with agriculture. This insect receives its 

 common name from its destroying the spindle of the Indian 

 corn ; but its ravages generally begin while the corn-stalk is 

 young, and before the spindle rises much above the tuft of 

 leaves in which it is embosomed. The mischief is discovered 

 by the withering of the leaves, and, when these are taken hold 

 of, they may often be drawn out with the included spindle. 

 On examining the corn, a small hole may be seen in the side 

 of the leafy stalk, near the ground, penetrating into the soft 

 centre of the stalk, which, when cut open, will be found to be 

 perforated, both upwards and downwards, by a slender worm- 

 like caterpillar, whose excrementitious castings surround the 

 orifice of the hole. This caterpillar grows to the length of an 

 inch, or more, and to the thickness of a goose-quill. It is 

 smooth, and apparently naked, yellowish, with the head, the 

 top of the first and of the last rings black, and with a double 

 row, across each of the other rings, of small, smooth, slightly 

 elevated, shining black dots. With a magnifying glass a few 

 short hairs can be seen on its body, arising singly from the 

 black dots. This mischievous caterpillar is not confined to 

 Indian corn, it attacks also the stems of the Dahlia, as I am 

 informed, both by Mr. Leonard, and by the Rev. J. L. Russell, 

 both of whom have observed its ravages in the stems of this 

 favorite flower. It has also been found in the pith of the elder, 

 and the same species of moth was produced from it, early in 

 August, as from the spindle-worm of corn. The chrysalis, 

 which is lodged in the bun-ow formed by the caterpillar, is 

 slender, but not quite so long in proportion to its thickness as 

 are those of most of the Nonagrians. It is shining mahogany- 

 brown, with the anterior edges of four of the rings of the back 

 roughened with little points, and four short spines or hooks, 

 turned upwards, on the hinder extremity of the body. The 

 moth produced from this insect differs from the other Non- 



