14 



these particuhir plants, and these were destroyed after beino- eut off, 

 presumably by being crushed under foot. One of the attendants stated 

 that the plants had also been dosed with a strong to])acco wash, which 

 proba])ly affected such larvtv as might have remained on the plants. 



Jid}' 23, IS'JT, Mr. F. C Pratt found numerous individuals of the moths 

 as well as larvae on celery at Brooklahd, D. C. An average of about 

 three pupte were found s]jun up in the leaves at the tops of all the 

 young plants, and when the plants were l)rushed with a stick or Ijy 

 hand the moths "rose up in clouds." The owner of the place where 

 the insects were at work stated that this species had been a most 

 troublesome pest the previous year; its habit of feeding upon the tops 

 of the celerj^ greatly lessened its market \'alue. It was his first year 

 in celery raising in that locality, and he had conceived the idea that it 

 would not be profitalile to raise that crop there. In succeeding years, 

 however, there was a decided decrease in the num))crs of this leaf- 

 t^'er. When the place Avas visited by the writer in 18i)l) and in 1000 

 the insects were comparatively rare. 



During January and February, 181)8, this species was the subject of 

 correspondence between this Division, the Florists' Review, of Chi- 

 cago, 111., and Mr. Robert Mearns, a florist, of Toronto, Canada. The 

 latter sent specimens in all stages, with the report that this insect was 

 doing much damage to plant life in the greenhouses of some of the 

 florists in that city. The florists were very anxious to learn of an 

 effective remedy for the pest. Larva? were particularly destructive 

 to heliotrope, wallflower, violet, and geranium. 



April 28, specimens of the moth'and pupa of the greenhouse leaf-tyer 

 were sent to this office ])y Mr. S. S. Wilson, Libonia, Franklin County, 

 Pa., with the statement that the larva was very injurious to green- 

 house plants, such as geraniums and dahlias. From this lot one moth 

 was obtained April 30. May 17, the same gentleman made another 

 sending of material and, in response to inquir}^, furnished a list of the 

 plants affected in his greenhouses. This list includes Ageratum, 

 geranium, German ivy, Kenilworth ivy, ground ivy, dahlia, Justicea, 

 chrysanthemums, Ohw/'arla liyhi'lda, anemone, cabbage, Matricaria, 

 Passitioras, Plumbago, Ruellia, Tydwa, daisy, Lol)elia, Yeronlca linpe- 

 rialls^ Lantana and Deutzia. Larvie were first noticed at that place 

 about the 1st of Januar}", in 181)8, on Ageratum in a hot place in one 

 of the greenhouses, and next upon geraniums. At the time of this 

 wi'iting it was feared that if their ravages were not checked they would 

 eat all the near-by plants. It was noticed that they had a special fond- 

 ness for forming their cocoon-like pupal cases on Anemone japonlca. 



May 14, 1898, Mr. Pratt called the writer's attention to the great 

 numbers of the moths of this species that were present in a large field 

 of rhubarb at Tennallytown, D. C. When the field was visited again 

 on the ITth it was found that this Avas by far the most abundant spe- 



