OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 159 



which destroyed the seeds in that, while the contents of the other 

 two cells were untouched. All the capsules were one-sided or con- 

 torted, owinj? to the presence of the caterpillar. * * * A very- 

 observing friend who made extensive experiments with seedling 

 Yuccas, in the hope of obtaining some new varieties, is quite sure 

 that he has obtained crops of seed without any of the distortion of 

 the capsule to which we have referred. * * * During a 



recent visit to Georgia, we found Yucca gloriosa in fruit. The fruit 

 of Y. aiamentosa is a dry capsule, while that of Y. gloriosa is pulpy, 

 and when quite ripe is as sott as a banana. We examined a number 

 of fruits of Y. gloriosa^ and failed to find any distortion, perforation, 

 or other indication that an insect hadenteredor made its exit. — Ameri- 

 can Agriculturist^ Dec, 1872. 



Yuccas Seedling. — I think there must be an error in regard to 

 Yuccas not producing seed in Europe, owing to the non-attendance of 

 the fertilizing insects. I remember, while at Dulwich,in the summer 

 of 1868, some plants of J^. Ulamentosa produced a good crop of seeds, 

 which germinated freely, and gave us a nice lot of plants, which 

 seems to indicate either that the little moth is in the country, or that 

 at least during warm summers the plants can manage very well with- 

 out it. I dare say the Messrs. Smith could confirm the above state- 

 ment.— T. Smith, Newry, in Gardeners' Chronicle^ (London), Oct. 19, 

 1872, No. 43, p. 1390. 



These extracts prove that the Yucca moth occurs on Long Island, 

 and around New York, and indicate that other insects occasionally 

 pollenize the flowers. The experience of Mr. Smith, in England, is as 

 interesting as it is exceptional; but until we learn whether or not the 

 work of the larva was manifest, no safe conclusions can be drawn. 

 Other insects may have been the pollenizers, or Pronuba may have 

 been locally introduced with seed from America. This last view may 

 not appear very plausible, but if both sexes of the insect were, by some 

 chance, introduced into a locality where Yuccas of blooming age were 

 growing, there is no reason why they should not multiply ; and such 

 chance introduction is not impossible, since the larva notunfrequently 

 remains in the capsule after the seed is ripe, where it fastens a number 

 of the riddled seeds together into a sort of cocoon, which might easily 

 pass unnoticed in gathering seed; and, if buried in the ground with 

 such seed, would in time give forth the moth. 



As bearing on the subject of the insect's range, I will add that I 

 have since examined the wild Y, angustifolia around Manhattan, 

 Kansas, and always found traces oi Pronuba \ but that of seventy 

 plants, including several species in the garden of Meade Woodson, of 

 Kansas City — a gentleman who is a great admirer of the genus — not 

 one has yet produced seed. Mr. Edgar Sanders, of Chicago, tells me 

 that plants of Y. Haccida do not there produce seed. Mr. Henry Wheat- 

 land, of Salem, Massachusetts, says that Y. Ulamen tosa never produces 

 seed there ; and I learn from Professor Gray that it is equally barren 

 at Cambridge. We have seen how irregularly some insects develop, 

 and how this irregularity {ante p.lZ'2i)\>ecome& excessive ivhen the 



