﻿■28 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT 



Carbolic acid (one part acid, 20 parts water) kills them if they gret a ofood drench 

 with it, but is too expensive at that rate. They will cross a trail of it without injury, 

 though they evidently dislike the smell. Have sent to town tor coal tar to see if they 

 will cross it when the ground is soaked with it. The advancing column is a half mile 

 wide. 



The hows are very fond of them ; will not notice corn when they can get Army 

 Worms, but we have more of the latter thau tliey can dispose of. 



la 1871 it was reported in the Prairie ivrrwer' "Record of the 

 Season" from Marion and Morgan counties in Illinois, and wap also 

 abundant in Linn, Louisa, Washington, Appanoose and other counties 

 in Iowa, according to the State Agricultural Report for that year. In 

 1872 it was more wide-spread, and I received specimens from several 

 correspondents, in Iowa more particularly. It was reported in Louisa, 

 Van Buren, Wapello, Jefferson, Muscatine, Jasper, Washington, Iowa 

 and Adams counties in that State, and very generally in Wisconsin, in 

 Ohio and in Kentucky, It attracted less attention in Illinois and Mis- 

 souri, though I met with it frequently in the last named State. It was 

 also reported from Tioga county, N. Y. Graphic accounts were likewise 

 published of its devastations in Tennessee, and the California Fanner 

 of July 25, 1872, reported legions of Army Worms as appearing over 

 that State spontaneously, and 'stripping vines and potato fields.' 

 From this last statement I infer that they were of some species other 

 than the one we are considering. 



But the most interesting manifestation of the insect during the 

 year 1872 was in the vicinity of Peshtigo, in the northeastern portion 

 of Wisconsin. It will be remembered that of the memorable fires 

 that ravaged the northwestern country in the Fall of 1871, none, after 

 that of Chicago, attracted more attention, or caused more sympathy 

 for the sufferers therefrom, than that which swept through Peshtigo, 

 destroying the whole town, and causing numerous deaths and great 

 distress. During July of the following year the people of Peshtigo 

 suffered another infliction in the shape of armies of worms that de- 

 stroyed the crops and were so numerous that in many places they 

 could be shovelled up by bushels, and fell into wells in such myriads 

 as to render the water foul and useless. This case has such an inter- 

 esting bearing on the insect's natural history that I shall revert to it 

 again under that head. For the present it is only necessary to say 

 that there can be no doubt as to the species, as specimens received by 

 Dr. LeBaron and by myself showed it to be the insect under consid- 

 eration. After 1872, until last year, the Army Worm attracted no un- 

 usual attention. 



ITS HISTORY IX 1875. 



During the latter part of May, or just about the time that there 

 was the greatest consternation regarding the locusts, our papers con- 



