128 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



The ravages had only been observed during the preceding ten days, 

 but ah'eady had they increased to such magnitude that many exten- 

 sive pastures had been completely ruined. The entire destruction of 

 both the pastures and meadows was threatened, and serious detriment 

 to the important dairy interests of the northern counties of the State 

 was anticipated. My advice was asked as to the best means of arrest- 

 ing the ravages. I had never witnessed an army-worm invasion, for- 

 tunately of rare occurrence in the State of New York, and as the pres- 

 ent one seemed to promise unusual interest from its northern locality 

 and early period of the year, I left Albany on the evening of the re- 

 ception of the above information, in company with Secretary Harison, 

 that, after personal observation, I might return more satisfactory re- 

 plies to the inquiries addressed to me. 



Narrative of its Observation. 

 Inquiries made at Rouse's Point, Clinton Co. — the extreme north- 

 easterly portion of the State — failed to elicit any information of an 

 attack in that vicinity. Our route thence, via the Ogdeusburg and 

 Lake Champlain railroad, traversed, for the most part, the wild and 

 uncultivated parts of Clinton and Franklin counties, where but little 

 grass occurred to invite grass-feeding insects. Leaving the railroad at 

 Madrid, St. Lawrence county, and proceeding southward, the appear- 

 ance of a pasture two miles from the station, on the farm of Mr. Fay, 

 gave indication of attack such as had been described to ns. Upon ex- 

 amining several brown patches, it was found that the grass had been 

 closely eaten off, and slowly traveling over the surface were a number 

 of apparently sickly caterpillars, which were evidently the authors of 

 the injury. In one low, wet spot, a large number of dead caterpillars 

 were lying on the ground. Perhaps twenty-five could have been 

 counted in an area of a square foot, which, from their condition, we 

 believed to have been killed by the heavy rains of the three preceding 

 davs. In the entire absence of caterpillars feeding, it was questioned 

 if the attack had been arrested by weather unfavorable to them, or had 



they been otherwise destroyed. A well- 

 known "caterpillar-hunter" was present in 

 unusual numbers, and had undoubtedly 

 rendered good service in checking the dep- 

 redations, for under one small stone 

 turned up we found no less than five of 

 the pretty Carabid beetle, Calosoma cali- 

 dum (Fabr.) — a valued ally in our warfare 

 against the hosts of injurious insects. That 

 it may be recognized and protected when- 

 ever discovered (together with other spe- 



^ ^„ . cies of the genus and family, nearly all of 



Fig. 29. — Calosoma calidum, . m i i i -i. j 



slightly enlarged.with further en- which liaVC Similar prcdaCeOUS habltS, aUQ 



largement of antenuaaud maxil- • „i-„„4. „~„v,+t. ;.-. rA^nnX^^nrr fV>Q 



larv palpus. are very important agents in checking tne 



