406 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



basal or inner one the smallest and whitest), and three white specks dividing the space between 

 this dark spot and the shoulder in about three equal parts. 



The habits of this moth can only be studied at night, as, like almost all the rest of its 

 family, it is nocturnal. During the day it simply starts up when disturbed, and darts by 

 swift and low flight to some other sheltered spot a few yards, or perhaps rods, away. After 

 sunset, however, it may be seen leisurely hovering about, either bent on the perpetuation of 

 its kind, or -feeding upon whatever sweets it can get, whether from the cotton or from other 

 sources. It is very strong and swift of wing, and capable, when the necessity arises, of fly 

 ing long distances. In alighting upon the plant, it generally turns its head downward, and 

 when it rests, the wings are but shallowly roofed, the front ones closed along the back and 

 fully hiding the hind ones. In this respect it may always be distinguished from the parent 

 of the boll worm, which rests with the front wings partly open and not entirely covering 

 the hind ones. 



The female begins to lay her eggs in from two to four days after issuing from the chry 

 salis, the time varying with the different generations and according to temperature. In 

 experiments which I have made with moths confined in vivaria, eggs have sometimes been 

 laid thirty-six hours after issuing, and the moths have continued laying for twenty-one 

 nights, the number laid each night ranging from 4 to 45. 



Examination of the ovaries of females at different seasons shows a much greater prolifi 

 cacy than belongs to most moths, as the number of well-developed ova may reach 500&amp;gt; 

 and of potential ova half as many more. In confinement, it is difficult to obtain from one 

 female more than 300 eggs, but that fully double this number are produced in the field dur 

 ing the height of the season there can be little doubt, while the average number may be esti 

 mated at about 400. 



The natural food of the moth is the sweet exudation from the glands upon the mid-rib 

 of the leaf and at the base of each lobe of the involucre of the cotton plant. Nevertheless 

 it is attracted to all kinds of sweets, and in most parts of the South it finds a bountiful sup 

 ply in the exudation from the spikes of Paspalum Iceve, a tolerably common grass, but parti 

 cularly in that copiously secreted by glands at the apex of the peduncle, just above the pods 

 of the cow-pea (Dolichos). In the spring of the year, as Judge Bailey, of Marion, Ala., has 

 observed, it may often be seen in the evening feeding in numbers, first from the blossoms of 

 the Chicasaw plum, and subsequently from those of the peach, Chinese quince, mock orange 

 (Cerasus Carolinensis), the early apples, and blackthorn. Later in the season, when the glands 

 above mentioned begin to exude and the tree blossoms are no more, the moths do not seem 

 to be attracted by other nectar-storing flowers, since observations during the past two years 

 by myself and assistants have resulted in finding but one species of verbena ( Verbena 

 aublctia L.) frequented, even where both moths and all sorts of flowers were abundant. But 

 fruits of all kinds, as they ripen, are resorted to, and figs, apples, peaches, plums, apricots, 

 grapes, persimmons, and even melons are often greatly injured. 



Carefully examined, the tongue is seen to be armed along its terminal half with stout 

 and sharp spines projecting forward from the upper surface and increasing in density toward 

 the tip, which is beset with them on all sides. It is by means of this spinous tip of the 

 tongue that the moth works a hole in these fruits, and is thus enabled to absorb the more 

 liquid portions. Apple pomace is especially attractive to them. 



The time elapsing from one generation to another varies according to temperature, and 

 therefore according to season. There is increasing activity and acceleration in development 

 from the first appearance till July, and thenceforth decreasing activity, and retardation in 

 development till frost. Thus in midsummer the whole cycle of individual life, from the 

 hatching to procreation, may occupy less than three weeks; while in spring and late autumn 

 it may occupy twice that time. Taking the whole season through, however, the time from 

 the eggs of one generation to that of another will average about a month. 



