THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 87 



Hind wings carneous-gray at base and interiorly — darker anteriorly and posteriorly and es- 

 pecially at posterior margin. Nerves and lunule rather dark. Fringes same color as interior of 

 wing, with a darker central line. 



Under surface of fore wings brownish-gray, the fringes and transverse posterior darker and 

 the spots faintly marked at costa. Under surface of hind wings of same color above, lighter be- 

 low, with the lunule dark and the arcuated band distinct. 



Legs dark-gray with light spots at joints ; palpi same color. Head, prothorax and thorax not 

 quite so purplish as wings. Prothorax with a light margin at junction of wings— the tegulas also 

 with a light spot. Body same color as hind wings above, darker below. -Feelers same. 



OTHER CUT-WORMS. 



Besides the ten distinct cut-worms, whose transformations I have 

 just recorded, there are two others, which Dr. Fitch has described in 

 all their stages. The one is the "striped" or "corn cut worm" as he 

 calls it, which proves very injurious to corn, by cutting it off about 

 an inch above ground. This worm produces a dusky-gray moth {Agrotis 

 nigricans, Linn. — var. maizi), which is distinguished principally by 

 two coal black spots, one nearly square, placed outside of the centre 

 of the fore wing, and the other nearly triangular, a little forward of it, 

 a roundish nearly white spot separating them. The other which Dr. 

 Fitch has called the "yellow-headed cut-worm," is of a shining livid 

 color, with a yellowish or chestnut-colored head and a horny spot of 

 the same color on the top of the first and last rings. It is a large 

 species and produces the Amputating Brocade moth (Iladena ampu- 

 tatrix, Fitch), which is figured on page 450, of Harris' work. This 

 moth is distinguished by its Spanish-brown upper wings, marked with 

 a large pale kidney-shaped spot, and a broad wavy blue-gray band 

 near the end. The worm was found by Dr. Fitch to be even more in- 

 jurious to corn than the striped species, since it severs the plant below 

 ground; while it also combines the habit of climbing trees during 

 the night, according to Harris. 



Thus, we are now acquainted with the natural history of just one 

 dozen of these cut-worms, while there is fully another dozen whose 

 habits and history yet remain to be studied. Of one of these, especial- 

 soon to give the complete history. Meanwhile, I will give 

 a brief account of the worm itself, which may be known as 



the wheat cut-worm. 



On the 10th of October, 1868, 1 received from Mr. F. R. Allen, of 

 Allenton, Missouri, the following communication: 



" Enclosed I send you some specimens of a worm that seems to 

 be preying upon the recently sown wheat. My neighbor, Mr. George 

 W. Moore, informed me a day or two ago, that a worm was eating all 

 his wheat that he had lately sown in oats ground. I went to see what 

 it was yesterday, and as I am not entomologist enough to tell, I refer 

 them to you. Mr. Moore has learned within a day or two, that this 

 same insect is now generally preying on the wheat in Franklin county, 

 that is sown on oats stubble. What is remarkable they do not yet 

 trouble the wheat in the same field sown on wheat stubble.. Nor do 



