pds 
- put forth from the same roots, and often one sheath. covering all at base. _ 
fied, while the leaves were riddied with holes arranged transversely across the ° ~ 
De, BN, 
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE.) 
150. 
» 
base of this mass of suckers had the appearance of having been wounded and seari- — 
leaf from the puncture of the insect before the leaf had become unrolled. Besides, 
the leaves were ragged and gnarled, and often aborted. eat 
We had observed the same feature in a corn-field in Tensas Parish, La.,in April, _ 
wan 
but'in that instance had supposed that the abnormal growth was due to the work 
of the larve of Diabrotica. This, indeed, might have been the case, as both punc-- = 
ture the stem at nearly the same place. Since observing the same feature in Mr. fi 
Lutz’s field, we are inclined to suspect that some species of Sphenophorus might 
have been at work in the Louisiana field before we saw it, although we found none, 
of the adults there. Still, D. 12-panctata is very common in the Northern States, 
and it will not be surprising if we hear of its work before long. 3 Seg 
We found no larvee or pups in Mr. Lutz’s field, and as we soon afterwards re- 
turned to the South, had no opportunity of again examining it. Hither through 
the effect of the beetles or dry weather, or both, the crop proved a failure. Only ' 
the low portion of the field, which comprised about 20 acres, was affected by Sphen- 
ophorus, the higher parts being uninjured. 
MYOCHROUS DENTICOLLIS. 
The adult beetles were observed in considerable numbers in fields of young corn — 
in Louisiana during April of the present year. They were found in the soil about _ 
the stems of the plants, at or near the surface of the ground, and attack the young _ 
corn by gnawing the outside of the stems, but not, so far as we observed, cutting 
them off or climbing over the leaves. No serious injury was noticed, but the spe- 
cies is a common one, both North and South, although we had never observed it in 
corn-fields before. i 
FLEA-BEETLES. 
(Chelocnema conjinis and Psylliodes interstitialis.) . 7 
The first of these species was observed in Tensas Parish, La., early in April of the 
present year, where the adults were engaged in eating out the parenchyma from 
the young corn leaves, appearing to injure the plants considerably, although not 
permanently. During August these beetles affected young wheat at La Fayette, 
Ind., in a similar manner. 
On June 21 both of these species were observed on corn in Pike County, Ind., in © 
great numbers, the Psylliodes predominating. Here the Choetocnema followed the 
same method of attack on the leaves of the plants, but did not appear to select 
either the smaller or younger plants nor the more tender foliage, but was, if any- 
* thing, more abundant on the lower than the upper leaves. ¢ 
The Psylliedes worked in precisely the same manner, and on the lower leaves. 
almost exclusively. These did not eat holes in the leaves at all, but seemed to | 
gnaw out the parenchyma from beneath, leaving the upper epidermis and the 
longitudinal veins intact. Had the beetles desired more tender food, it could have 
been found in a small plot of much later corn only a few yards distant. ‘This, 
however, was less affected than the larger. Elsewhere in the fields, we found 
them working on the leaves of Panic grass (Panicum crusgalli) in exactly the same 
manner. 
THE GREASY CUT-WORM. 
(Agrotis ypsilon.) 
This was several times observed attacking corn in Louisiana; in one instance a’ ~ 
stalk fully 10 inches high had been eaten into near the surface of the ground and > 
destroyed. 
Planters living in the low districts say that this or a similar species is very much 
more destructive just after an inundation. 
ANTS. 
(Prenolepis nitens.) 
Various species of ants may be observed during autumn about the ears of wnripe 
corn, especially if the kernels near the tip of the ears have been partly eaten by — 
other insects or by birds. At La Fayette, Ind., during September, 1886, we several 
