OWLET-MOTHS. 159 
have cases on record where they did more damage than any 
other insect enemy. Being nocturnal they are not often 
seen, but if the reader will go out some night early inspring, 
and beat with a stick the twigs of fruit-trees over an invert- 
ed umbrella, he will have no trouble in finding more 
worms than he likes to see. The writer has in this way 
beaten from a single small apple-tree as many as 100 cut- 
worms, which accounted for the fact that these trees did not 
seem to do as well as they ought to. During the day these 
cut-worms hide in the ground near the tree. As a general 
rule large numbers of them can be killed by the use of 
poisoned baits made of bran, Paris-green, water and a little 
sugar or molasses. These baits are placed near the tree, and 
will almost invariably attract and kill the majority of such 
worms. Other baits made of wilted plants and Paris-green 
are also of great use. 
It would take too much space to describe the (ieee num- 
ber of cut-worms that can be found uponour fruit- PS odteain 
plants, and only a few will be given; the habits of all are 
essentially alike. 
THE GREASY CUT-WORM. 
(Agrotis ypsilon Rott.). 
This is one of our most’ abundant cut-worms which 
attacks all sorts of garden products and other low-growing 
plants;it is frequently quite de- 
structive tothe strawberry beds. 
When full grown it is about an 
inch and a half long, dull brown, 
inclined to black, with paler long- 
itudinal lines, and a faint broken 
yellowish-white line along the 
back, and two other indistinct 
pale lines oneach side. The moth 
is readily recognized by the ypsi- 
lon-shaped mark upon the fore- 
Fig. 157.—Agrotis vpsilon Rott, | Wings, which are brownish-gray 
After Riley. 
