446 LEPIDOPTERA. 



10th of July and the middle of August. Like all the fore- 

 going species, it flies only at night. According to Mr. Brace, 

 this moth lays its eggs in the beginning of autumn, at the 

 roots of trees, and near the ground ; the eggs are hatched 

 early in May ; the cut-worms continue their depredations 

 about four weeks, then cast their skin and become pupae or 

 chrysalids in the earth, a few inches below the surface of the 

 ground ; the pupa state lasts four weeks, and the moth comes 

 out about the middle of July ; it conceals itself in the crev- 

 ices of buildings and beneath the bark of trees, and is never 

 seen during the day ; about sunset it leaves its hiding- 

 place, is constantly on the wing, is very troublesome about 

 the candles in houses, flies rapidly, and is not easily taken.* 

 From what is known respecting the history of the other 

 kinds of Agrotis, and from the size that the cabbage cut- 

 worms are found to have attained in May, I am led to infer 

 that they must generally be hatched in the previous autumn, 

 and that, after feeding awhile on such food as they can find 

 immediately under the surface of the soil, they descend 

 deeper into the ground and remain curled up, in little 

 cavities which each one makes for itself in the earth, till 

 the following spring. 



Dr. F. E. Melsheimer, of Dover, Pennsylvania, has 

 favored me with the wing of a moth, which he states is 

 produced from the corn cut-worm. The following remarks 

 on this insect are extracted from his letters. " There are 

 several species of Ayrotis, the larvae of which are injuri- 

 ous to culinary plants ; but the chief culprit with us is the 

 same as that which is destructive to young maize." " The 

 corn cut-worms make their appearance in great numbers at 

 irregular periods, and confine themselves in their devasta- 

 tions to no particular vegetables, all that are succulent being 

 relished by these indiscriminate devourers ; but, if their 

 choice is not limited, they prefer maize plants when not 

 more than a few inches above the earth, early sown buck- 



* American Journal of Science, Vol. I. p. 154. 



