CO 



;il)iiii(l:iii('(' ()fcii|ty uiunhkiI tiin(>s, the pciMod of ;iiiini.it iiicr(';is(> Ikmiii;; 

 longer IIkiii llic |hmm(u1 oi (Um-Hiuv riir(H> or loiw or cxvw {\\v y(>;irs of 

 iu)t:ibl(> iiijui'V to crops in;iy succoed oiu^ anotlicr. cadi woi-sc tliaii the 

 prociMlinj;-, bcfon^ tlio mnxiimim is roMcluMl, and iIum). witliiii a y(\ir or 

 two, lioi'drs oi tli(>s(' iiis(M'(s which may sihmii (o ha\(> taken p(M'niancnt 

 poss(>ssion of the Holds and meadows over an immense ilistricl may 

 disapp(^ar so comjiletoly that it will be dillicnlt to find a few livint; 

 spcM-inuMis. 



The injuri(>s by this insect ar(> don(> l)y suckinji' the sap from the 

 plants. Uianii; witliout jaws for biting, t can oidy appi'opriate fluid food 

 by piercinj;' the tissiu's of its food plant with the haii'-like stylets of its 

 beak, and then suckinii; out the sap from the lacerati^l cells. Owinii to 

 its innuense numbers, it may so rapidly drain a stroiiu and thrifty corn 

 |)lant a foot or two in luM,i;ht that this will wither and fall to the i;i'ound 

 as if cut otT at the root. 



Life IlislDri/ of the Clnnrli-hii<i. The points of special economic inter- 

 est in tlu> lif(> history of tlu> chinch-bui;' •avc I he sta^v and ])lace of its 

 hibernation, and the nuMhod of its escapi* from li(Mds of wheat and other 

 grains at hai"\i>st-tinu\ It p;iss(\s the winter as a full-t;rown wins;ed 

 inst>ct .amoni;- the roots of tuftiMl grasses; undcM' stone' on i!;rassy knolls; 

 under leaves" slicks, lo!;s, and bark; in thickiMs and the borders of 

 woods; beneath the rails and boards of fiMices; and in similar sheltered 

 situations. l''rom tlu^s(> wint(M' (piarters it enuM'iies in spring', the exact. 

 tim(> xai'yiui;' accordiny; to the weather. Hies freely al)out in ex'ery direc- 

 tion and to considiM'able (listanc(>s. settl(>s most ^'enerally in fields of 

 wheat, the youns^ ^I'owth oi which afVoi'ds it an abund.ant and attracti\"e 

 food. (le[)osits its eii'li's tluM'c on th(> i;round about the base of the ]>laut. 

 on the roots a little under ilu> surface, or sonuMimes on the lower part 

 of {\\v pl.Mut ab(>\(> llu^ uround (S(m> Tl. 1). and presently dies. Tlu* egi^s 

 are thus laid, in c(aitral and soutluMMi Illinois, durinj2; the last days of April 

 and [\)v wliok^ o\' May. 'riu\\- bi\uin to hatch .about the iiiiddle of the 

 latt(M- month, and by th • n\iddk* of .lune tlu^ old chinch-buus which had 

 wintered o\(M' ;we \irtually all u'ontv 



.\t har\(>st-tim(> tlu' youn<;- ^1^ tlu> niwv U(Mu>r;ttion -mv in \arious 

 staues of d(>\(>lopn\(>nt , Awv to the fact that the eii<;s ari^ laid at inter\als 

 through a period of about a nuMiih. There are at wheat-harvest some 

 winged bu,<;s in the ti(>ld. but tlK> tireat majority of them are of asi'os 

 varyiuii fi'om thosi« just hatclu>d up to the staj;(> prcM't^dinu' the last molt. 

 ]M)rc(>d out fi'om thesi> tiiMds of small iirain by (he ripiMiing «)f tlu> plants 

 and the consecpuMit pressure^ {)( staiwation, llu\\' tMitiM" fields of oats and 

 corn adjoiniuii; in a continuous thriMii:,'. ntakinu' their miii'ration almost 

 wholly on foot. They thus concentratt^ in o\ tM'w luMmiuij; numbers on 

 tlu^ plants at \\\v borders of the luwvly iMittM'i>d field, drainiui;' and killinji' 

 (>\erytliinj2; as tlu\v ,uo. It is at this tinu> that the principal injury io 



