328 REPOT?T OF TFfE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



shell' against a pine troc and upon lliat i>lac«;(l a disli with the sweets, and provided 

 ■with a floating perforated xilatform. 'J'he tn>c was at the same time smeared with the 

 liquid, and upon visiting the ))lace after dark I noticed a number of moths on the tree, 

 on the smeared shelf, and on the dish with the platform, those ou the dish being much 

 less numerous. * •* * About the time that the worms were moving off and weli- 

 bing np, very few moths visited the sweets at night for several nights, but last night 

 and the night before that they were more abxindaut. Perhaps the cool weather was 

 the cause of their being alisent for several nights, since they have come in numbers 

 again after the warmer nights have set in. 



Xovemher 4, 1878. — I send by to-day's mail a few specimens of the molhs attracted 

 by ray baits. No. 1 is, I presume, Aletia {Aleiia argillacea); Xo. 2 is Auroiis ijpfiiloii, 

 always present in cold as well as Avarm weather, and No. 3 {Lencania unijmncta) also ; 

 No. 4{Ai)q)hi(j}/ra, sp. ) resembles 3 and may be same species ; No. 5 ( Orihosiaferrugiiioidcs) 

 I see oceasioimlly on warm eA'cnings; No. (Cftr^sis, sp.) I found to-day. I should 

 be very glad to get the iiames of the specimens as they are numbered. I inclose a 

 few of the chrysalides of the last brood of worms. 



The evening of October 26 was warm. (Cfi° at 7 p. m.), and more than 50 cotton-moths 

 were counted at mr) hailed tree. It rained before morning and then cleared off cold, so 

 that on the 27th and 28th no moths were seen. On the 29th it was warm and cloudy 

 and rained slightly, and I counted 7 or 8 AUl'm moths. On the 30th, 31st, 1st, and 2d 

 cold and frosty nights ; no moths seeu. 



Professor Smith, continued liis snj?arin.g all tlirougli the winter, cap- 

 turing- many other moths, but no Aletia later than December 1. 



The observations of Professor AVillet and myself were reported by 

 Professor AVillet as follows : 



readies. — Professor Comstock learned in Alabama that the AUtia moths had greatly 

 injured the August crop of peaches. On the night of .Septembei- 10 Professor Comstock 

 placed two peaches — clear-stoned and quite ripe — one on each side of two stumps ou 

 whose sides molasses had been smeared, and visited them at 9 p. m. AVe (Professor 

 Comstock and myself. Professor R. having left for Wasliingtoii) found 20 Aletia moths on 

 one peach and 15 on the other, notwithstanding the molasses. At 7 o'clock next morn- 

 ing nearly as many moths were at the peaches, though the sun was an hour high. One 

 peach had a hole oue-thirty-second inch in diameter, and the peach had been eaten 

 out underneath the skin to a depth of one-fourth inch and a diameter of 1 inch. The 

 other peach had 5 holes, not so large, and probably 50 excoriations one-fourth inch in 

 diameter. They clustered most about the stem end, where they could thrust in their 

 bills without effort. 



ISeptemler 12. — The halves of the same peach, opened, were placed out last night, 

 and 10 Aletia and 1 other moth were found at them this morning. 



Some dried peaches (with skins ou) having been soaked in water, were placed out at 

 same time, but no moths were found at them. After returning here, two hard peaches 

 -vsere put in a jar where some moths had hatched from chrysalides; the moths were 

 almost famished and immediately clustered over the peaches, but failed to make any 

 impression ou them. 



POISOXIXG THE MOTHS. 



1. Molasfies.— Mixed Fowlers solution of arsenic with common molasses, 1 table- 

 spoonful to IJ^ pints, and placed some in tin pan, with floating perforated cover of tin, 

 as suggested by Professor Riley. After about two hours we found 2 Aleiia and 2 other 

 moths sipping'; next morning probably a dozen of Aletia and other moths were found 

 drowned in the molasses, having insimtated down by the sides of the cover ; none dead 

 on the ground. 



Mixed some of same poisoned molasses with sirups of strawberry, orange, and ]>ine- 

 apple, and with rum, vinegar, and lager beer, and smeared on trees andstumjjs in th« 

 cotton field and adjoining forest. At 9 p. m. foimd 1 Aletia and 2 other moths at the 

 vinegar and 2 Aleiia nt the beer; at 7 next morning found only one feeble Aletia at the 

 beer. The poison did not seem to be strong enough. 



2. Pcflc/ies.— Septeujber 12, Ave put out in the cotton field, in large paper boxes — 

 «. Pleaches (halves) thickly sprinkled with Avhite arsenic. 



I). Peaches (halves) drenched with Fowler's solution. 



c. Dried peaches (soaked) covered with white arsenic. 



d. Dried peaches (soaked) Avitli Fowler's solution. 

 Visited boxes next morning with the following result : 

 a. Five dead Aletia, 2 disabled Aletia. 



h. Two dead Aletia, 1 dying Aleiia. 

 ■ c. Two Aletia in box not dead. 

 d. No moths of any kind. 



