REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 79 
to the board, fence, or stone under which they transform. When about 
to change, the skin of the back of the chrysalis splits open, and the 
perfect butterfly comes out, at first with wings small and flaccid, but in 
a very short time they begin to expand, until finally they bave attained 
their regular size and the butterfly is able to use them in flight. It 
then mates, and deposits its eggs on plants of the cabbage family. The 
first butterflies appear in Massachusettsin April, and during the summer, 
The change from caterpillar to perfect insect occupies only about eight 
days, but the pup or chrysalides of the late broods remain all winter, 
and are only hatched out the following spring. These caterpillars feed 
not only on cabbage but also on cauliflower, mustard, turnip, mignonette, 
nasturtium, and are even said by Curtis to be found on willow in 
England. The male butterfly is yellowish-white with black tips and 
one round black spot only on each upper wing, while the female has twe 
and sometimes three. The American Entomologist states that as a 
remedy salt has been found more effectual than either tobacco, cresylic 
acid, soap, or guano, and that by laying pieces of board between the 
rows of cabbages, supporting them about two inches above the surtace 
of the ground, the worms will rescrt to them to undergo their trans- 
formations, and can then be easily destroyed. The saponaceous com- 
pounds of cresylic acid are also recommended; but Mr. P. T. Quinn, of 
New Jersey, gives the following as his experience in combating this 
insect. On his return from California last summer he found his cabbages 
infested with worms which threatened total destruction. After trying 
' various remedies, he found this recipe to be the best: Twenty parts of 
superphosphate made with slush acid, one part of carbolic powder, and 
three parts of air-slacked lime, mixed well together, and thoroughly 
dusted into each head four times at in- 
tervals of four days. The result was ; 
the saving of seventy-five thousand cab- Fe 
bages and a loss of only five per cent. 
It would be well for cabbage growers 
also to offer a small reward to children “=~ 
destroyed early in spring among the 
cabbages, as it is these comparatively 
rare butterflies that originate the im- 
mense number of caterpillars which, 
later in the fall, destroy the whole crop. 
We have two other white buttertlies =— 
in the United States which injure cabbages, but not to such a degree 
as the P. rape, as they confine themselves principally to the leaves, and 
do not burrow into the heart of the 
plant. In the Northern and Eastern 
States the pot-herb Poytia of Uarris 
(Pieris oleracea, Bdv.) is most abund- 
aut. It differs from rape by being 
wholly white, without any black spots 
or markings. The southern cabbage 
butterfly (Pieris protodice. Boisd.) is 
found all along the southeastern At- 
lantic coast from Connecticut to Tex- 
as. It is exceedingly common in 
Maryland and Virginia, but does not 
appear to do much damage in gene- 
ral tu cabbages in this neighborhood, 
Z me 8 
wt, eral 
