FIRST APPEARANCE. 97 



the latter part of the month, when heavy frost occurred. The only 

 instances of moths emerging from the pupa state after a heavy frost, of 

 which we have been able to learn, are those mentioned in Professor Smith's 

 letters of October 26 and November 4, and in Professor Willet's letter 

 of December 11.* Professor Smith also wrote December 30: "All the 

 chrysalides which I have examined are dead, so that not many, if any, 

 will survive the winter." 



FIRST APPEARANCE. 



No point in the life history of the cotton-worm is of higher interest 

 than the first appearance of the insect in the spring. Not only may we 

 expect to learn here important facts bearing upon the question of hiberna- 

 tion of the species in our territory, but other facts which will be of serv- 

 ice to us in our efforts to devise some way in which to check the increase 

 of this pest as soon as it appears. The general impression has been that 

 the earliest appearance of the worms in the cotton fields was during the 

 latter part of June or in July. This has been urged as a proof of the 

 theory that the species dies out each season in the United States ; and, 

 what is much more serious, this idea has influenced the planters to neglect 

 making any efforts to destroy the worms early in the season. 



Although vigorous efforts were made to collect specimens of the moth 

 early in the spring, none were observed. .Baits of various sweetened mix- 

 tures were exposed ; these attracted many moths, but none of them were 

 Aletia. Neither did any specimens of the cotton-moth come to light at 

 that season. This, however, only proves the futility of any attempts of 

 this kind to destroy the moth at that season of the year, For we know 

 that moths were present and ovipositing on the cotton very soon after 

 the young plants emerged from the ground. This is shown by the fact 

 that May 21 a full-grown larva was found in Dallas County, Alabama, 

 on some small cotton, which was planted April 30, and was well up about 

 May 8. On May 23 another larva was found in the same field. As this 

 cotton was immediately adjoining some which was planted a month earlier, 

 there is a possibility that the larvae were hatched on the latter, and mi- 

 grated to the place where found; but in any case it is evident that 

 moths were flying and ovipositing on the cotton while it was yet quite 

 young. Other larvae were observed at this time; one May 23 on the 

 older cotton ; and another June 3. These particular instances are cited, 

 as there is no doubt of the identity of the larvae. We believe, however,, 

 that they were found even earlier in the season. Colonel Lewis, of Ver- 

 non Station, in the Canebrake region, Alabama, found a full-grown larva 

 May 17 ; and May 24 they were reported from two other plantations in; 

 the Canebrake. 



The following testimony of our correspondents is important as con- 

 firming these observations. It will be seen that in several instances the 

 worms have been observed at even earlier dates than those given above;. 

 7ci 



