103 
Tae Cappace Cut-Worm (Agrotis annexa, Fr.) 
The larva of this moth (kindly determined for me by Prof. C. V. 
Riley) was found destroying young cabbage plants at Normal in 
the middle of April. It came out of the ground when the sun was 
warm, cut off the plants at or near the surface, and then ate 
the leaves. In a garden containing 600 plants not over twenty 
or thirty were left. The owner killed about 200 worms on the 
first day of their appearance, and 500 or 600 on the day follow- 
ing. The field was afterwards set to late cabbages, which were not 
molested. ‘The application of Paris green would have probably ex- 
terminated the worms, if made in time. 
THe StauK-Borer (Gortyna nitela, Guénee). 
Fig, 23.—Stalk borer (Gortyna nitela, Guénee). 1 Moth, 2 larva. 
This worm was found injurious to oats throughout Central and 
Northern Illinois, in July and August. The effect upon the grain 
was to blast the head, preventing the kernel from filling. 
The entrance of the worm to the stalk was made anywhere from 
above the first joint to the fourth joint below. The worms found in 
the oats were not more than half grown, and the size of the open- 
ings by which they entered the stalk made it evident that they were 
not hatched upon this grain. In some cases they emerged by the 
orifice of entrance, and in others made a separate exit. The differ- 
ence in size between the openings of entrance and exit was usually 
trivial, showing that the worms grew but slightly in a single stalk. 
But one larva to a straw was found, except in a single instance, 
where two had met face to face. One of these had attacked the 
other, and eaten away part of its head, although both were still 
living. ‘he damage done, as far as noticed, was within a few rods 
of the margins of the fields, showing that the worms had penetrated 
from without. They had doubtless bred in the grass and other 
weeds adjacent, and such injury as resulted might probably have 
been prevented by keeping down the weeds outside the field. 
Tae ZEBRA CATERPILLAR (Mamestra picta, Haw.) 
A single larva of this species was found at Normal in September, 
feeding upon kernels of corn in the ear. 
