138 FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT 



Any one traveling through Kansas last fall must have been struck 

 with the absolutely naked appearance of the Soft maples, which are 

 very extensively used, and highly prized for ornament and shade, 

 and may be found in every thrifty town. A beautiful belt on the 

 grounds of the Agricultural College at Manhattan was allowed to 

 sufier like the rest, and by the middle of September, could scarcely 

 boast of a leaf. 



I have known this insect for many years, and it is a wide-spread 

 species, extending throughout the Eastern States and Ontario. The 

 fact that the Soft maple is indigenous along the streams, in the bot- 

 tom lands of Kansas, will account for its excessive multiplication 

 there, compared with the more eastern portions of the county. 



The eggs from which the worms hatch are deposited in batches of 

 thirty and upward, on the under side of a leaf. Each is about 0.05 

 inch long, sub-oval, slightly flattened, translucent, and pale greenish, 

 becoming more yellow, and showing the black head of the inclosed 

 larva just before hatching. 



Larval Changes. — In the first stage, the larva is cylindrical, yellow, with a large 

 black head, and the spines hereafter described forming little black tubercles of nearly 

 uniform size, and without the greater prominence of those on joint 2, In the secoiid 

 stage, the head is browner and the spines and stripes of the mature worm more appa- 

 rent. In tiie thb'd sta,ge, the mature characteristics are acquired, and there is subse- 

 quently little change. The full grown larva may be thus described : 



Average length, 1.50 inches. General color, pale yellowish-green ; longitudinally 

 striped above alternately with eight very light (almost white) yellowish-green lines, 

 and seven of a darker green, inclining to black, the medio-dorsal one usually darkest, and 

 showing palpitations. Characterized by two black, blunt, anteriorly-projecting hox'ns 

 on joint 2 ; two lateral rows of posteriorly-projecting, more pointed, shorter spines, 

 one (the largest) below and one above stigmata, and most prominent on joints 10 and 

 11, which are here somewhat dilated and tinged \vith rose-red. When examined with 

 a lens the body, both above and below, is found to be thickly studded with transparent 

 granulations, and there are four dorsal, polished, sub-obsolete spines, the anterior on 

 upper edge, and the posterior on lower edge of second dark stripe, and most promi- 

 nent on joints 11 and 12. Head more or less intense copal-yellow, the ocelli on a black 

 ground ; stigmata, in lower dark line, oval, black, with a pale central line ; joint 1, with 

 six black elevations on anterior edge ; anal shield flattened, greenish, with a black blotch 

 superiorly, and margined with eight black spines, the two terminal stoutest; venter 

 black, witii pale mesial line, and a prominent black spine each side, and sometimes others 

 less prominent; legs greenish or yellowish, the thoracic and anal marked with black, 

 the abdominal with rufous clasps. 



Varies much ; specimens in last molt often with black predominating, the dark 

 lines being jet black', the two lowermost often coalescing ; all sometimes coalescing on 

 joint 1, and anal shield, and the legs being almost entirely black. Other specimens 

 with the pale colors pi-edominating. 



Hundreds examined. 



The worms are longitudinally striped with pale and darker green 

 lines, and are chiefly distinguished by two anteriorly projecting black 

 horns on the top of joint 2, and by having jomts 10 and 11 a little 

 dilated and rose-colored at the sides. They go through four molts 



