Tiri: 



VOL.III.-sE^#i?s,VOL,l. 



NEW YORK, APRIL, 1880. 



No. 4. 



PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY 



THE HUB PUBLISHING CO. of n. v. 



323 Pearl St., New York. 



TERMS Two dollars per annum, in advance. 



EDITORS : 



CHAS. V. RILEY, Editor Washington, D. C. 



A. S. FULLER, Assistant Editor, Ridgewood, N. J. 



THE CHINCH-BUG.* 



ITS WINTER HABITS. 



It was known soon after the insect 

 became troublesome that there were more 

 broods than one ; some, as Mr. Hadley, 

 supposing there were " five or six genera- 

 tions." It is a quite common opinion, and 

 it is held by many to 

 the present day, that 

 there are three broods. 

 This belief arises very 

 naturally from the fact 

 that those which hiber- 

 nate appear in the 

 spring to deposit eggs ; 

 the perfect insects from 

 these are counted as 

 a second brood, the 

 Chinch-j!ug: Hair line f^u brood being the 



underneath showing nalu- *-* 



rai length (after Riley). third, according to the 

 method of counting ; but as will be seen 

 by careful observation, those which appear 

 in the spring are the same ones seen late in 

 the fall. 



Dr. Shimer observed in 1864 and 1865 

 that this species is two-brooded, but no 

 account of his observations were published 

 until 1867; in the mean time Prof. Riley 

 published the fact in 1866 that they are but 

 two-brooded in the northern part of this 

 State (Illinois). Subsequent observations 



* From Bulletin No. 5, U. S. E. C, by Prof. Cyrus Thomas. 



have shown this to be the rule in the other 

 parts of the State and throughout the north- 

 west. There is some evidence of an occa- 

 sional third brood in the extreme southern 

 part of the State, but not sufficient to jus- 

 tify me in asserting it as a fact, or to 

 satisfy me of its correctness. 



Insects may pass the winter as eggs, 

 which is a very common method ; as larvae 

 or young, which is rather unusual ; as 

 pupae, which is a very common method in 

 those orders where the pupa state is one of 

 complete quiescence ; and lastly, they may 

 pass the winter as perfect insects. 



[Fig. 36.] 



Immature stages of Chinch-bug : a, i, eggs ; c, newly- 

 h.itched larva ; d, its tarsus ; e, larva after first molt ; /, same 

 after second molt ; jf, pupa— the natural sizes indicated at 

 sides ; A, enlarged leg of perfect bug ; j\ tarsus of same still 

 more enlarged ; /, proboscis or beak, enlarged (after Riley). 



The last method is the one adopted by 

 the Chinch-bug. When cold weather 

 comes on those of the fall brood leave the 

 now dry and hardened corn stalks and 

 seek secure places in which to remain 

 during the winter. Occasionally they take 

 flight at the time, but usually they seek the 

 most secure places which can be found in 

 and immediately around the field. Any 

 rubbish left in the field, if of a nature to 

 meet their wants, is eagerly sought ; corn 

 shocks, straw piles, stumps, logs, and fence 

 rows are used as hiding places ; they even 

 hide beneath the clods when no better 

 places can be found. But many move 



