438 LEPIDOPTEBA. 



can easily break through afterwards. The chrysalids are 

 generally very long and cylindrical, and are blunt at the 

 extremities. Most of the moths have very long bodies, a 

 smooth thorax, and are of a yellowish clay or drab color; 

 the fore wings want the usual spots, are faintly streaked and 

 dotted with black, and have a scalloped hind margin. Those 

 that do not live in water-plants are distinguished by brighter 

 colors of orange-yellow and brown, with the usual spots 

 more or less distinct on the fore wings, the margin of which 

 is wavy ; the collar is prominent, and the thorax crested. 

 In all of them the antenna of the males are slightly thick- 

 ened with short hairs beneath. 



These insects are fatal to the plants attacked, the greater 

 part of which, however, are without value to the farmer. 

 Indian corn must be excepted ; for it often suffers severely 

 from the depredations of one of these Nonagrians, known to 

 our farmers by the name of the spindle-worm. The Rev. 

 L. W. Leonard has favored me with a specimen of this 

 insect, its chrysalis, and its moth, together with some re- 

 marks upon its habits ; and the latter have also been described 

 to me by an intelligent friend, conversant with agriculture. 

 This insect receives its common name from its destroying the 

 spindle of the Indian corn ; but its ravages generally begin 

 while the corn-stalk is young, and before the spindle rises 

 much above the tuft of leaves in which it is embosomed. 

 The mischief is discovered by the withering of the leaves, 

 and, when these are taken hold of, they may often be drawn 

 out with the included spindle. On examining the corn, a 

 small hole may be seen in the side of the leafy stalk, near 

 the ground, penetrating into the soft centre of the stalk, 

 which, when cut open, will be found to be perforated, both 

 upwards and downwards, by a slender worm-like caterpillar, 

 whose excrementitious castings surround the orifice of the 

 hole. This caterpillar grows to the length of an inch, or 

 more, and to the thickness of a goose-quill. It is smooth, 

 and apparently naked, yellowish, with the head, the top of 



