13 



conclnsions, at least in so far as the Cape Cod cranberry bogs are 

 concerned, where, however, the conditions are somewhat abnormal. 

 On the Cape the caterpillars were first noticed on dales varying from 

 June 20th to July 1st on bogs which had been covered with water 

 up to June 1st — June 10th. Thoy were then very small, and in 

 nearly every case were observed to come from among the moss, 

 rushes and other foreign growth along the ditches. From these 

 places they spread over the bogs, feeding on the rushes, sedges and 

 certain of the weeds, and cutting off the new growth of the cranberry 

 vines. On July 7th — lOth they varied in length from one-half to one 

 and one-quarter inches. 



On July 1st caterpillars were noticed in large numbers at South 

 Deerfield, and on July 9th these vai'ied from one inch to one and 

 one-half inches. Caterpillars from both Cape Cod and South Deer- 

 field, reared at the Insectary, went into the pupal stage about July 

 17th and the moths emerged August 4th. INIoths were numerous (at 

 sugar) in Amherst from July 2«th all through August, and a few were 

 caught in early September. 



There is no probability of there having been a brood preceding the 

 one observed on the bogs, but, though it seems unlikely, there may 

 have been one at South Deerfield : in which case, the simultaneous 

 appearance of the caterpillars in the two places is merely a coincidence. 



The brief period elapsing from the drawing off of the water to the 

 maturity of the caterpillars on the bogs precludes the possibility of 

 the insect having hibernated in the moth or pupal stages ; and the 

 small size of the caterpillars when noticed, their coming from very 

 restricted places in such immense numbers, and the fact that the 

 bogs were under water up to so late a date, which seemingly would 

 drown out the caterpillars, makes it more plausible that the winter 

 was passed in the egg than in the larval stage. In whichever of the 

 latter stages the hibernation occurred, the deposition of the eggs 

 must have taken place before mid-winter when the bogs became com- 

 pletely submerged. 



The moths which emerged August 4th were from the largest cater- 

 pillars sent to the Insectary, and the probabilities are that the bulk 

 of the moths did not appear until the middle of the month. In fact, 

 the superintendent of one of the largest infested cranberry bogs 

 states that the caterpillars were not through feeding until August 

 15th. The females fly two weeks at least before beginning to deposit 



