OF THE FARM AND GAKDEN. 79 



merly supposed to feed only on the ground, climb fruit 

 trees and injure their buds. These are mentioned under 

 "Insects Injurious to Fruit Trees." The name Cut- 

 worm is sometimes incorrectly applied to the White 

 Grub, the larva of the May or June-bug, and also to the 

 Wire-worms. The proper Cut-worms are the larvae of 

 several night-flying moths, of the genus Agrotis, and of 

 some allied genera, but as their habits are much alike, a 

 description of one will answer in a general way for all. 

 Related species are destructive in England, where they 

 are known as "Surface Caterpillars." 



The moths, which usually appear in late summer, have 

 jin expanse of wing of about an inch and a half; they 

 arc of a sombre gray or brown color; they rest with the 

 wings closed more or less flatly over the body, the upper 

 entirely covering the lower ones, and always have two, 

 more or less distinctly marked spots, the one round and 

 the other kidney-shaped. The moths, attracted by the 

 lights, frequently enter houses at night; they sometimes 

 fly in cloudy days also. They deposit their eggs mostly 

 in late summer, sometimes in spring, upon plants near 

 the surface of the ground; these soon hatch and the 

 young larvse enter the earth, where they live upon the 

 tender roots of grass and other plants, until winter, when, 

 about two-thirds grown, they descend deeper into the 

 soil, and remain in a torpid state during cold weather. 

 In spring they come to the surface, and with appetites 

 sharpened by their long fast, are ready to attack almost 

 any succulent plant. They feed by night, and hide in 

 holes just under the surface during the day. They have 

 a general greasy appearance, being smooth, naked, and of 

 some shade of gray, green, brown, or black, and variously 

 marked; the head is polished, and there is a shield of 

 the same color upon the top of the first and last seg- 

 ments; when disturbed they coil themselves into a ball. 

 When the worms are full grown, they descend deeper 



