REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 335 



"vrbile the cottou- worm eg'g' was molded iu the saucer." The two diam- 

 eters of the egg are nearly equal and are about the same as the greatest 

 diameter of the egg of Aletia. In color also it differs from the egg of 

 Aletia^tliQ latter being of a delicate green, scarcely distinguishable from 

 the leaf, while the former is nearly Avhite and easily detected u})ou the 

 ])lant. A notice;ible feature of many of these eggs is an irregular red- 

 di.sh-brown band near their sunnnits, which gradually disai)i)ears with 

 the development of the embryo. The sculpturing of the egg is almost 

 identical with that of the cotton- vrorm moth. The number of eggs laid 

 by the female Jleliothis must ax)]n-oximate pretty closely to that laid by 

 the female Aletia. According to Mr. Glover, a single female boll-worm 

 moth dissected by Dr. John Gamble, contained upwards of 500 eggs. 

 From their greater thickness, this number of eggs would necessarily 

 take up more room than the same number of Aletia eggs, and hence we 

 find that the female HeUothls is more robust than the Aletia. 



From all accounts, the favorite ovipositing time is at or shortly after 

 twilight, when the moths are tlying iu great numbers. Concerning the 

 place of deposit of the eggs, however, published accounts have differed. 

 Mr. Glover says : 



The egg is generally deposited singly on tlie outside oftlie iuAolucel or outer calyx 

 of tLe flower or young bell, wliere it adheres by means of a gummy substance ^vhich 

 surrounds the egg when iirst laid, and which hardens by exposure to the atmosphere. 

 It has been rejieatedly stated by planters that the eggAvas deposited on the stem, and 

 that the young stem forms the first food of the newly-hatched cateri)illar ; but after a 

 careful examination of scAeral hundred stems I found only one egg placed iu this situ- 

 ation, and that, from the fact of its being laid on its side instead of the base, had evi- 

 dently been misplaced. 



Professor Eilej^, in his Thuxl Missouri Entomological Eeport follows 

 Mr. Glover quite exactly, saying : " It is usually deposited singly on the 

 outside of the involucre or outer calyx or young boll." 



Observations made during the past two years would seem to disprove 

 this statement of Mr. Glover pretty effectually. I found it to be the 

 exception that the eggs are laid upon the involucre. Although I have 

 found them upon all parts of the plant, the majoritj" of them seem to be 

 deposited upon the lower surface of the leaves, as is the case with the 

 cotton-worm eggs. I made a careful search of many ])lants vrhile in the 

 cotton fields of Alabama, and the follovring note will serve to indicate 

 the usual distribution of the eggs: " On one plant I found eleven eggs 

 which were distributedt. in the following manner : one on the involucre, 

 two on the stalks, and eight on the leaves." Mr. Trelease states iu his 

 report that he found them upon the petioles and both surfaces of the 

 leaves, and upon the outer surface of the involucre. 



The duration of the egg state varies with the season of the year, much 

 as it does with the egg of the cotton-moth. We have no data as to the 

 a(;tual length of time betvreeu the laying of the egg and the time of 

 hatching, but it probably approximates to Aletia in this respect, although, 

 the time may be somewhat longer. 



THE LziRVA. 



As jr.st stated, we have disproved the old idea that by far Vno. majority 

 of the eggs are laid upon calyx and involucre, and it (•onse<]nentiy fol- 

 lows that the received ojiinion^i as to the newly-hatched winiu boriug 

 iumiediately iuto the boll or hower bud nuist also' be thrown aside. The 

 worm after gnawing through its egg shell makes its (irst nund upon the 

 part of the plant upon which the egg was laid, be it leaf, stem, or iuvo- 



