236 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 6 



Mr. E. A. Schwarz of the U.'S. Rureau of Entomology), as well as 

 larvae, probably of this species, have been taken in areas where the 

 "southern grass worm" was abundant. A single adult of a smaller 

 species of Carabid was reared from a larva taken at Rio Piedras near 

 poisoned bait, where dead larvae of Laphygma were present. 



Lizards probably feed on the larvae and adults and may be impor- 

 tant enemies of the species. 



Two species of blackbirds occur in Porto Rico, known locally as 

 "el chango" or "mozambique" (Holoquiscalus brachipterus) and "el 

 Judio" {Crotophaga ani). Both of these blackbirds undoubtedly do a 

 great deal of good in reducing the numbers of caterpillars, particularly 

 those occurring in the more open grasslands. 



Results from the Use of Poisoned Bait. On January 13, 1912, 

 an experiment was made with poisoned bran at Rio Piedras. One- 

 fourth pound of Paris green and ten pounds of bran were mixed and 

 enough water, sweetened with molasses, added to make the particles 

 of the mixture adhere. The compound was placed in small piles on 

 ground, very free from vegetation, between a field of grass, in which 

 the "grass worms" were very plentiful, and a plot of young cane which 

 they were apparently just beginning to attack. Larvae, largely those 

 of Laphygma frugiperda, found dead around the piles on January 16, 

 were referred to Dr. F. W. Zervan, chemist of this station, for analysis, 

 and he later reported that their bodies gave a decided arsenic reaction. 



In connection with the outbreak of "grass worms" in the La Plata 

 region, the writer was told that poisoned bait, the composition of which 

 was not learned, distributed in a furrow through a field of grassland, 

 had destroyed larvae "by the hatful." 



A Note on "The Grass Looper," Remigia repanda Fab. 



Where outbreaks of the "southern grass worm" occur the larvae are 

 often accompanied by the larvae of Remigia repanda. In the area 

 attacked at Rio Piedras during January, 1912, the larvae of Laphygma 

 jrugiperda appeared to predominate, though they did not greatly ex- 

 ceed "the grass looper" in numbers. While the two species occurred 

 together, one or the other prevailed in sections of the whole area. At 

 the other points where outbreaks occurred, no data was obtained on 

 the relative abundance of the two species, the larvtB having, for the 

 most part, pupated at the time visits were made to these areas. 



As has been mentioned, the larvae of Laphygma frugiperda prefer to 

 work among the opening leaves of the cane, while those of Remigia 

 repanda work upon the unfolded leaves, the older as well as the younger 

 portions of the plants being eaten. When the food supply becomes 

 scanty, however, this difference in feeding habits is less pronounced. 



