376 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 2 



still having fresh green leaves, although no leaf was found attacked 

 except dried ones. Of course, from the nature of the attack, such 

 leaves would dry prematurely, and to some extent injured stalks would 

 be similarly affected. The infestation proved to be more prevalent in 

 corn growing on land which had produced a like crop the year be- 

 fore and where old stalks remained than in fields on cotton land. Be- 

 sides, the time of planting made some difference in the conditions of 

 freshness in favor of the crop on the cotton land which was planted 

 late. On account of unusual hot and dry weather the crop matured 

 about one month earlier this year than ordinarily. If the weevil 

 should attack stalks as early in the season on normal years as it has 

 this year, the yield would naturally be expected to suffer from incom- 

 plete nourishment. To all appearances, no detrimental effect on this 

 year's product could be charged to any cause other than to weather 

 conditions in support of the claim of undersized ears. The chain of 

 evidence in determining the attacks in green stalks, however, is further 

 strengthened b.y the maturity of weevils from infested samples placed 

 in a breeding box. At Tallulah, La., on October 1. two adults were 

 found on drying stalks of late planted corn. Although I failed to 

 find any signs of breeding in the stalks, their presence was considered 

 to be for the purpose of oviposition. 



As a cotton insect Dr. L. 0. Howard has placed the species on rec- 

 ord as attacking damaged bolls, and he also points out the principal 

 adult characters by which it can easily be distinguished from the boll 

 weevil, since both insects in one stage or another are sometimes found 

 living in different parts of one boll (12, 13). Its work in this respect 

 is much like a scavenger, or, as Doctor Howard states, a ' ' result, rather 

 than the cause, of the damage." Field observations have failed to 

 bring to my notice any definite evidence of its attack in green bolls. 

 That such instances seem possible in ca.se of partially diseased bolls 

 was indicated by finding at Jackson, Miss., on October 11, an adult 

 hiding in an opening of a boll in which anthracnose had developed 

 sufficiently to cause discoloration of the exposed internal tissues ; other- 

 wise the boll was green and unaffected. The intent of this weevil was 

 surmised to be for oviposition, and at the same time to feed upon 

 the decaying tissues. Definite cases of its breeding in bolls have been 

 repeatedly carried through from larva to adult, but in every instance, 

 the infested bolls were old deteriorated or dried rotten ones, the 

 ravages occurring particularly as a sequence to the disease called 

 anthracnose. 



From collections of old cotton bolls gathered by myself at Alex- 

 andria and Mansura, La., February 26 to March 2, and by Mr. J. D. 



