“THE CHAIN-SPOTTED GEOMETER. ol 
They often grow to an enormous size compared with their usual de- 
velopment. They do not find their food exclusively on the bogs, but 
when nearly full-grown they have the habit of biting pieces out of the 
cranberries, which, of course, soon wither and die. They seldom eat 
an entire berry, but usually eat out the seeds and then leave it. The 
ericket has the same habit. Probably all the species of locusts found 
in the various localities find their way on the bogs, and none live ex- 
clusively in them, for [ found the same species that were common on 
the bog were also common in the woods and fields everywhere in the 
vicinity. A cheap and very effective remedy against the depredations 
of these insects is a flock of turkeys. Dr. Brakeley has between 50 and 
100, which day by day journey to the bogs and cross and recross them 
in every direction, coming home each evening with crops distended to 
their fullest extent. The difference between his bogs and those of his 
neighbors, in the matter of locusts, is marked; only an occasional one 
will fly up before you on his bogs, while on the other bogs visited by 
me locusts started up everywhere by the dozen. Both pyrethrum and 
kerosene kill the locusts when they come into contact with them, but 
turkeys constitute by far the best and easiest remedy to apply. 
THE CHAIN-SPOTTED GEOMETER. 
(Zerene catenaria Gn.) 
On some bogs of Cape Cod an insect locally known as the yellow 
span worm sometimes becomes somewhat injurious. The parent of the 
larva is known as the “chain-spotted geometer,” and is pure white, 
except for the front of the head and the shoulder tippets, which are 
yellow. The fore wings have a narrow, zigzag black line on the inner 
third of the wing, a distinct, black discal dot and a scalloped black line 
half-way between the discal dot and outer edge. The hind wings have 
a black discal dot and a single black line, often more or less broken at 
the outer third of the wing. It expands nearly 2 inches. 
The larva is 14 inches or more in length, equally thick throughout, of a 
bright sulphur-yellow color with paler and black markings. It is readily 
recognized and easily seen on the bogs; it is found in moderate numbers 
on the various bushes growing at the edge of the bogs, and appears a 
general feeder. The uniform testimony is that the young larve are 
never found on the bog, but when they attain the length of an inch 
they sometimes leave their natural food-plants and invade the bog, eat- 
ing rapidly and doing considerable damage. 
The remedy for this lies in prevention, and is easy: Clear the ditches 
surrounding your bog, have them at least two feet wide and half full of 
water, and cut off the brush for a few feet from the edge of the bog. The 
remedy is complete. 
