THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 115 



when approached, dodge from one side of the plant to the other, or 

 else take wing and fly away. They deposit their eggs and breed on 

 the plants, and the young and old bugs together may be noticed 

 through most of the summer months. The young bugs are perfectly 

 green, but in other respects do not differ from their parents except in 

 lacking wings. They hide between the flower-petals, stems and leaves 

 of different plants, and are not easily detected. Late in the fall, none 

 but lull grown and winged bugs are to be met with, but whether one 

 or two generations are produced during the season I have not fully 

 ascertained, though in all probability there are two. 



Remedies.— In the great majority of cases, we are enabled to 

 counteract the injurious work of noxious insects, the moment, we 

 thoroughly comprehend their habits and peculiarities. But there are 

 a few which almost defy our efforts. The Tarnished Plant-bug belongs 

 to thfe last class, for we are almost powerless before it, from the 

 fact that it breeds and abounds on such a great variety of plants and 

 weeds, and that it flies so readily from one to the other. Its flight is 

 however limited, and there can be no better prophylactic treatment 

 than clean culture ; for the principal damage is occasioned by the 

 old bugs when they leave their winter quarters and congregate on 

 the tender buds and leaves of youngfruit stock ; and the fewer weeds 

 there are to nourish them during the summer and protect them dur- 

 ing the winter, the fewer bugs there will be. The small birds must 

 also be encouraged. Applications of air-slacked lime and sulphur, 

 have been recommended to keep them off, but if any application of 

 this kind is used, I incline to think that to be effectual, it must be 

 of a fluid nature; and should recommend strong tobacco-water, 

 quassia-water, vinegar, and cresylic soap. Some persons who have 

 used the last compound have complained that it injures the plants, 

 and every one using it should bear in mind, what was stated in the 

 preface to my First Report, namely, that the pure acid, no matter how 

 much diluted with water, will separate when sprinkled, and burn holes 

 in, and discolor plant texture; while if properly used as a saponaceous 

 wash it will have no such injurious effect. It must likewise be borne 

 in mind, that the so called "plant-protector" which is a soap made of 

 this same acid, will bear very much diluting, (say one part of the soap 

 to fifty or even one hundred parts of water) and that it will injure 

 tender leaved plants if used too strong. I have noticed that the bugs 

 are extremely fond of congregating upon the bright yellow flowers 

 of the Cabbage, which, as every one knows, blooms very early in the 

 6eason ; and it would be advisable for persons who have been seri- 

 ously troubled with this bug, and who live in a sufficiently southern 

 latitude where the plant will not winter-kill, to let a patch of cab- 

 bages run wild and go to seed in some remote corner of the farm, in 

 order that the bugs may be attracted thither and more readily de- 

 stroyed, than when scattered over a larger area. 



