23 



the leaves of the upper half of the yoiiug shoots, from two to six inches 

 in length, were destroyed, and only fragments of leaves or portions of 

 their midribs had been left untouched here and there. The caterpillars, 

 which had done all this mischief, were found hidden in delicate, white, 

 silken webs, either between the upper leaves when still quite small, or 

 lower down on the older leaves when about fully grown. These webs, 

 in which the caterpillars hide themselves, become in course of time 

 partly filled with their black excrement, looking like gun-powder, and 

 add still more to the disfiguration of the plants. The caterpillars, when 

 disturbed, show great activity, and wriggle excitedly out of their webs; 

 in falling they suspend themselves by a long, silken thread. If the dis- 

 turbance ceases, they gradually work their way back to their homes. 



Collectors of Lepidoptera had seen this moth but twice before in Wash- 

 ington. One specimen had been captured many years ago ; it was found 

 flying around the gas-light. The second specimen was found, in 1882, 

 on the Virginia side of the Potomac. 



NUMBER OF BROODS. 



The greatest damage was done by the first brood, or at least the ef- 

 fects of the injury were more apparent. The second brood, living upon 

 the same shoots, already so much disfigured, were hardly perceived, 

 since they added but very little to the general effect. No caterpillars 

 were observed out doors during the month of August ; they were to some 

 extent kept in check by parasites. The electric light has also been of 

 immense value in destroying this pest. Thousands of the moths were 

 attracted to it and never found their way back to the plants to deposit 

 their eggs for other broods. But in captivity the result was very dif- 

 ferent, and indicated beyond any doubt the possibility of a very great 

 danger to these privet hedges, if the insect should once have full sway 

 to breed unmolested. Not less than four broods of moths were raised 

 in the course of the summer, the last brood laying eggs, which, per- 

 haps, not being fertilized, did not hatch. Moths of the different broods 

 appeared July 2, August 5, September 6, and October 11. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



The Egg. — The scale-like eggs are very soft, light-green, sculptured, 

 and measure 0.6™™ in length and 0.4 in width. They are usually 

 fastened to the leaf near its mid-rib, either upon the upper or the lower 

 surface. Being so very small, and of a similar color to that of the leaf, 

 they are very difficult to detect. And this is still more the case in 

 breeding-cages, where the restless moths scatter their very loosely at- 

 tached, silvery- white scales so profusely over the somewhat adhesive 

 surface of the leaf, that it soon becomes densely covered with them, 

 thus adding to the diflSculty of finding the eggs. From three males and 

 two females imprisoned 65 eggs were obtained, yet no doubt more had 

 been deposited but not found. These eggs in the course of a few days 

 darkened somewhat and plainly showed the embryo. They hatched on 

 the fifth day after being deposited. 



