100 



and I'hlajctlioiitin.s scita, are frequently taken by these birds. There hardly 

 seems a doubt about the correctness of Mr. Elliott's observations, and I 

 give these facts in order to show their value. The catalpa is planted as 

 far north as extreme northern Indiana and Illinois, but the catalpa sphinx 

 does not occur north of about the latitude of Vincennes, in this State, 

 Flora, in Illinois and extreme southern Lawrence County, in Ohio. On 

 the Atlantic Coast it is steadily working- its way northward, being now 

 seriously abundant about Philadelphia, Avhich is in the latitude of Colum- 

 bus, Ohio, and almost that of TTr))aiia, Illinois. It was altundant at Flora, 

 Illinois, as far back as 1875, but seems to have progressed no farther 

 northward. The insect has this peculiarity: The female will deposit to 

 the number of 1,0(>0 eg'^::s in a mass on a single leaf and the young are for 

 a considerable time after hatching thoroughly gregarious, so that while a 

 single tree or a row of trees may be defoliated by the larvjie, other trees 

 in the neighborhood may entirely escape. This gives the enemies of the 

 larvae an opportunity to literally exterminate a colony hi short order. 

 Mr. W. H. Edwards, a lepidopterist of Coalburgh, West A'irginia, some 

 years ago, recorded the sudden appearance of this insect in his locality 

 for the first in ISOO, and the as sudden disappearance the following year. 



The catalpa sphinx is like its food plant, a southern species; the 

 Sphingidto are a tropical family for tliat matter, and it is interesting to 

 note that Judge Lawrence .Johnson observed the attacks of the Cuckoos, 

 both species, on these larvre in 1SS3, in Alabama. The Cat Bird and the 

 Baltimore Oriole are both known to feed upon them. 



Besides the birds there are several insect enemies of the catalpa 

 sphinx, two being species of Taehinid flies, Eiiphorocera clarlpennis and 

 Froiitiiia fmiclni. A Hymeno[)ter, Apantrlrs coiifiref/dfiifi also destroys a 

 large number of the larvpe. As I found many of these caterpillars on 

 catalpa trees al)out Princeton, Indiana, late in August, 3!)02, with nu- 

 merous eggs of the Taehinid flies attached to their bodies, there is no 

 doubt liut what they are doing their full sliai-e in keeping the insect in 

 check. 



I might say. in addition to tlie foregoing, tliat this Cuckoo is exceeding- 

 ly fond of another caterpillar, Ihitdua aiii/iisii, which so frequently de- 

 foliates the walnut and hickory trees in midsummer. Here, too, we have 

 the work of the Taehinid flies i)reviously mentioned, and while at Purdue 

 L'niversity, several years ago, I observed a case of excessive parasitism, 

 on the larvae of a closely allied species, Datuna contractu. On four of the 



