CHINCH BUG WEST OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 43 
At this time attention was transferred from the wheat to the corn- 
fields where very little fungus was noted, most of the old bugs being 
dead, and the young ones seemingly free from any fungus. Some of 
it could be found on the bodies of the adults about the base of the 
corn, just as observed about the corn which had been listed in the 
wheat-infested with the bugs; none, however, could now be found 
above the surface of the soil, all fungus béing either below or on 
the surface of the ground. 
The bugs were now seriously damaging the corn, as will be seen by 
the following note made on June 15: 
Bugs still migrating from wheat to corn. They are out for 40 and 50 rows on corn 
adjacent to wheat. NoSporotrichum is developing. 
The farmers of Sumner County were informed of the presence of 
the fungus in this locality, through the press, and by interviews with 
them at the laboratory at Wellington. On June 24, two reports 
came from the farmers that the fungus was killing off the bugs. Vis- 
its were made to their farms, and the ‘‘dead bugs”’ proved to be only 
piles of cast pupal skins, which they had found beneath piles of green 
corn, and bundles of wheat and oats. This same mistake on the 
part of the farmers was made during the experiments of Dr. 
Snow in 1891. In reports of farmers to him we quote: ‘‘In some 
fields the bugs have been reported dead in bunches,” but he continues 
‘of the fields visited, no large bunches of white-fungus bugs have been 
found, * * * each bug had died by himself.” ¢ This confusion 
of the fungus-killed bugs with their cast-off pupal skins is one fre- 
quently made by farmers, and such reports in regard to the efficiency 
of the fungus are very apt to be erroneous. 
On June 23 the bugs began to leave the badly infested corn, as 
the young had now developed wings. By July 1 they were so widely 
scattered over the corn as to give the appearance of having left the 
fields. In some instances this apparent disappearance of the bugs 
was credited to the fungus by those who had not been constantly 
watching them, several farmers reporting that the fungus had killed 
their bugs because there were so very few to be found. 
Heavy rain fell on July 8 and 10, but little Sporotrichum could be 
found among the bugs in the corn. On July 19 a few dead adults 
located on corn leaves from 1 to 2 feet above ground were observed 
covered with Sporotrichum. This was the only case during the 
summer where the fungus was observed not in contact with the ground. 
At this time an examination of the wheat stubble was made and the 
following note made: 
In pulling up wheat stubble large numbers of dead fungus-covered bugs were 
found in some places, the soil about the wheat roots being speckled with the fungus. 

“ 1st Report on Contagious Diseases of the Chinch Bug, F. H. Snow, 1897. 
