310 Fiftieth Eepokt ox the State Museum 



The earliest notice of the insect within our State, came to me on July 

 ist, when it were found on corn near Albany. This was followed 

 on the 2d inst., by examples sent from Cambridge, Washington county ; 

 and for the week theieafter, reports followed closely and thickly of army- 

 worm ravages in several of the eastern counties, and later, from southern 

 and western parts of the State. 



Larvse received and collected by me were full-grown, and entered the 

 ground for pupation as early as July 4th. Two changed to pupae on the 

 9th on the surface of the ground in the box with the earth given them. 

 On the 23d the moths commenced to emerge, and on the same date 

 some of its parasites, Winihemia /^'pustiilafa, also made their appearance. 

 Only a few parasites Avere disclosed. Their eggs had not been observed 

 on any of the larvse that I had examined, while in the western part of 

 the State they have been reported as not at all uncommon. 



The Wheat- Head Army- Worm. 



The wheat-head army-worm, Leucajiia albiliiiea, has been reported from 

 the town of Morley, in St. Lawrence county. I was informed under 

 date of July 22d, that the caterpillar, identified from examples sent me, 

 was doing much damage in barley fields. Its operations were shown, ist, 

 in the awns of the barley having to a great extent fallen, or more prob- 

 ably, been cut off: 2nd, a great number of the heads were cut off 

 between the head and the next joint below. In one instance where 

 the crop had been a most promising one, it was estimated by the owner, 

 that two-thirds of it had been destroyed. The injury had not been sud- 

 den or rapid as in the work of L. unipuncta, but had been under 

 observation for some considerable time. The barley-heads lying on the 

 ground were subsequently eaten out, leaving only the husks or chaff 

 remaining : this, it was thought, was done by the caterpillars. 



A feature noticed in the work of this insect, was, that the leaves of the 

 barley were not eaten — the first to be consumed by the army-worm, but 

 that with the exception of the severed head, the plant was left in all its 

 freshness and healthy appearance. 



EUFITCHIA RIBEARIA (Fitch). 



This insect, generally known as the " gooseberry span-worm," from 

 the preference shown by the caterpillars for that plant, was reported in 

 very great numbers, during the latter part of May in a garden in Pine 



