92 



THE LANCASTER EARMER. 



[June, 



of bran and ship stuff in tlie morning, and corn and 

 oats in the evening. To avoid leg weakness, which 

 several times attacked his chicks, he feeds powdered 

 oyster shells in their food. 



George A. Geyer gives his chicks wheat, cracked 

 corn, meat and other table scraps, but he has had 

 very bad luck with them. 



Joseph F. Witmer said that but for a cat that car- 

 ried ofl' about sixty he has lost comparatively none. 

 He gives them bran and chopped corn. 

 Question for Uiscussion. 



Is the raising of poultry profitable ? was the ques- 

 tion adopted for discussion at the next meeting. Re- 

 ferred to Joseph F. Witmer. 



There being no further business before the society 

 a motion was made to adjourn. 



LINNiEAN SOCIETY. 

 The society met on Saturday afternoon, May 29, 

 in the ante-room of the museum, the President, Rev. 

 Prof. Stahr,iu the chair. Present, Messrs. Stahr, 

 Dubbs, Baker, Kevinski, Davis, Rathvon and 

 Heinitsh, and Mrs. Zcll, Miss Lefever and two visi- 

 tors. After the opening preliminaries, there were 

 made the following donations to the museum : 



1. A specimen of the " Horned Grebe," (Podiceps 

 cor7iutu&.)T\us beautiful bird w'as captured alive in 

 Manheim township, about the first of the present 



month, by Mr. , and by him presented to 



the society, and was prepared by Mr. Geo. Hensel, 

 of East Orange street. It was found in a public 

 road about a mile from any stream, and was perhaps 

 beaten down by a rain storm that had prevailed a 

 day or two prior to its capture. It belongs to the 

 order Natatores, and the family Coltmbid.^, in- 

 cluding the various species of " Divers." Judge 

 Libhart recorded twelve species of Grebes for North 

 America, and five for the county of Lancaster, in 

 1S69. Of course this number includes also the 

 species commonly called ' Loons." 



2. A very large specimen of the "Tarantula" 

 (Mygale JJentzii,) from the State of Missouri. Cap- 

 tured by Mr. Lory Suter, and presented to the so- 

 ciety through our fellow-member, William Roehm, 

 of Quarryville. This is the largest subject of the 

 class ArachjiUhe, that belongs to the territory of the 

 United States ; and its history is connected with a 

 romantic notion that the bite of it is fatal, unless re- 

 sort is had to music and dancing ; but scientific pro- 

 gress has exploded this notion. 



3. A bottle containing a number of specimens of 

 the "Grape-leaf Flea-Beetle," {Oraptodera chaly- 

 hea) received from Strasburg and Elizabethtown, a 

 notice of which was published in The Fakmee for 

 May. These insects were very numerous early the 

 present season in various districts of Lancaster 

 county, and were very injurious to the young leaf 

 buds of the grapevines. Later in the season the 

 larvae of subsequent broods destroy the fully de- 

 veloped foliage, and when very numerous are still 

 more injurious to the vines. 



4. A bottle containing two specimens of the larvae 

 of what is doubtless the " seventeen year locust " 

 {Cicada Septcndcci'ia) in the twelfth year of their 

 development, sent by Mrs. Gibbons, of Enterprise. 

 These insects last visited us in 1808, and we m'iy 

 confidently look for their reappearance in 1885. 

 Their visits, 'of which we have specimens, were in 

 1800, 1817, 1834, 18.51 and 1S68. 



5. A bottle containing specimens of the " Great- 

 eyed Click-beetle" {Alaus ocatlatus.) These are 

 male and female taken in eoulu May 1.5th, and were 

 dug out of decayed wood. This is the largest species 

 of this family (Ei.aterid.*) known to the State of 

 Pennsylvania. 



6. A specimen of the Rock of GIbralter, donated 

 by Mr. George R. Graeff, who personally visited the 

 rock and brought away this specimen. Although 

 this mineral etfervesces under an application of 

 muriatic acid — similar to carb. of lime — yet it is ex- 

 ceedingly hard, and probably is a silicate. 



7. Two boxes, weighing about one hundred pounds, 

 containing specimens of the Fossil flora of Pennsyl- 

 vania, from Dr. John D. Wingate, of Carbondale, 

 Pa. These have been received in response to the 

 action of the society at its last stated^meeting. The 

 boxes have not yet been opened, but as soon as time 

 l9 found to examine them in detail a report on their 

 contents will be submitted to the society. 



8. A cabinet, about four feet high, three feet wide 

 and three feet deep, with six drawers, containing not 

 less than 1,200 specimens of minerals, metals, fossils 

 and Indiai* arrow-heads, donated by A. J. Steinman, 

 Esq., senior editor of The Lancaster Intelligencer. 

 This was purchased by Mr. Steinman at the late J. 

 Teates Conyngham sale, and contains many hand- 

 some and rare specimens, received by Mr. Conyng- 

 ham in his exchanges with some of the best min- 

 eralogists in the State. 



8. A large specimen of Belosloma grandis, or 

 " Water Bug," donated by Mr. S. K. Hostetter, of 

 NefTsville, Lancaster county. This is the largest 

 species of the order Hemiptera that inhabits North 

 America, and is known to be destructive to the 

 young fry in fish ponds. Mr. Hostetter found it 

 alive in his wagon shed. These insects are amply 

 provided with wings, and during the nuptial season 



raise up out of the water and fly abroad in search of 

 their mates, or, perhaps, to seek a more favorable 

 locality. 



10. A strange fish, caught below the Columbia 

 dam, and donated to Geo. F. Rathvon, of Columbia. 

 It is not recognized by the fishermen, and is sup- 

 posed to be a "mongrel" or allied to the species 

 received from that locality last winter. Its identifi- 

 cation is deferred to the future. 



11. Part of the root of a " weeping willow " tree, 

 showing a singular conformation to the base of a 

 tombstone, illustrating the moulding as sharply as 

 if cut out with a chisel, raising the tomb entirely 

 out of position. Donated by Mr. L. Haldy. 



13. A small vial containing specimens of the in- 

 sects known as "flea beetles" and " garden fleas," 

 or " snow fleas," which have recently been very in- 

 jurious to the young tobacco plants. 



Prof. Baker presented the singular leaf and flower 

 of a species of " pitcher plant," (Sarracenia pur- 

 purea.) 



Mrs. Zell donated a singular species of fungus, 

 commonly called " pepperbox puff-ball " i^Lycoper- 

 don.) She also exhibited several other plants. 



1. Four additional volumes of the Second Geologi- 

 cal Survey of Pennsylvania, donated by the distribut- 

 ing oiBcers in charge. One of these volumes is a 

 continuation of the illustrated fossil flora of Penn- 

 sylvania, and in artistic execution will compare 

 favorably with any other similar publication in the 

 country, and is a credit to the State. 



2. Proceedings of the American Philosophical So- 

 ciety from January to March, 1880, full of interesting 

 historical lore. 



3 . Parts 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Official Gazette 

 of the United States Patent Office. 



4. The Lancaster Farmer for May. 



5. A memoir of William Reynolds, Rear-Admiral 

 U. S. N., and John Fulton Reynolds, Major General 

 U. S. A., Col. 5th U. S. Infantry; donated by Chas. 

 A. Heinitsh. 



6. Catalogue of rare English and American publi- 

 cations, and also a number of circulara. 



Twenty entire arrow and spear-heads, and as large 

 a number of fragmentary specimens from Florida. 

 These specimens are from Prof. Haldeman's collec- 

 tion, and were donated to the society by Mr. Wm. L. 

 Gill. What is a special peculiarity about these relics 

 is that they are all made out of finer qualities of 

 stone, and of an average larger size than we usually 

 flnd them in Pennsylvania. Some of them are of 

 agate, some of chalcedony, flint, hornstone and 

 jasper, or varieties of these. Mr. G. also includes 

 the Operculum of a univalve California shell in his 

 donation, probably belonging to a species of Fulgar, 

 similar specimens being found along the shores of 

 Delaware Bay. 



Dr. M. L. Davis illustrated some of the wonders 

 of the microscopic world, exhibiting a fine mounted 

 specimen of kinate of quinine — one of his own 

 mounting — which he afterwards presented to the 

 society. 



Dr. Rathvon offered the following, which was 

 unanimously adopted as the sense of the society : 



Resolved, That the society hereby records its sin- 

 cere thanks— jointly and severally — to the gentle- 

 men, named and unnamed, who have on this occa- 

 sion tendered their liberal donations to the museum 

 and library of the society. 



The committee on the issue of a Bulletin not 

 being ready to report was therefore continued to a 

 a future meeting. 



Under the head of "Scientific Gossip" Dr. Dubbs 

 extemporized on his examination of what is supposed 

 to be an ancient wall, on a hill, midway between 

 Mechanics Grove and Chestnut Level. 



The wall is built of sandstone, without mortar. 

 He does not regard it as pre-historic, but thinks it 

 likely a fortification built in the early history of our 

 country, probably during the difficulties between the 

 Marylanders and the Pennsylvanians, in which the 

 famous marauder Cresseps exhibited such an active 

 participation. Skirmishing, capturing and recaptur- 

 ing were freely participated in by those old pioneers 

 of the past. 



The doctor will visit the place again and commit a 

 fuller description to paper, and file it in the archives 

 of the society. 



No other business being before the society, it ad- 

 journed to meet on the last Saturday in June (26th 

 prox.) 



Entomological. 



The Army Worm in Lancaster County. 



Since the receipt of the worms on Thursday, June 

 3d, from Jacob S. Eby, of Upper Leacock township, 

 I have received the following letter, accompanied by 

 the same species of worms, and will therefore answer 

 both correspondents in the same paper : 



Manheim, June 9, 1880. 



S. S. Rathvon — Dear Sir: I send you by this 

 mail a specimen of worms which I found this morn- 

 ing in a small field of wheat. My attention was at- 

 tracted by the great number of them, and I am fear- 

 ful that perhaps they may prove to be the army 



worm. I examined some other almost adjoining lots, 

 and in some cases found a few, in others none. In 

 the wheat they are at present feeding principally on 

 the leaf or straw, but some are also on the heads. I 

 found them numerous in a patch of oats, and in 

 some grass. If of sufficient interest an answer 

 through The Farmer will oblige. 



Truly yours, B.H.Hersuey. 



WHAT THET ABE AND WHY SO NAMED. 



There are several species of worms that have re- 

 ceived the common name of "army worm," simply 

 because they are gregarious in their social habits, • 

 but both these lots are the real, original and veri- 

 table "army worm," scientifically called Leucauia 

 unipuncta, and sorry am I that I am compelled to 

 make such a discouraging record. It is not at all 

 surprising to me that the army worm should be 

 found in Lancaster county, for I have occasionally 

 found a single individual, or more, nearly every sea- 

 son during the last twenty years ; not only of the 

 true army worm, but also of the "white-lined army 

 worm" (^Leucania alhilinea') . Short articles on the 

 latter have been published on page 165, Vol. IV., 

 and on page 103, Vol. VIII., of the Lancaster 

 Farmer. Indeed, the possibilities fortheir develop- 

 ment in this latitude always exist, and perhaps 

 always will exist, so long as wheat, rye, barley, oats 

 and grasses are grown. They have no special parti- 

 ality for clover, (although they will eat it when they 

 can get nothing better,) but the bladed cereals they 

 are particularly fond of, and when they consume one 

 field and have not finished their larval development, 

 they will migrate, like a moving army, to another 

 field, and from this habit is derived the name of 

 army worm. 



HOW to stay and destroy THEM. 



When a field becomes destructively infested — al- 

 though there are applications that would kill them — 

 it perhaps would cost as much to exterminate them 

 as an average wheat crop would be worth, and 

 might also involve the entire destruction of the 

 crop. But they can be prevented from passing from 

 one field to another, by running a deep furrow 

 around the field, with its perpendicular side next to 

 the field intended to be saved, up which perpendicu- 

 lar side they cannot well climb, for losing their hold 

 they will fall back again to the bottom. Here they 

 can be captui'ed and destroyed. It has been recom- 

 mended to scatter dry straw over them in this trench 

 and then set it on fire and thus destroy them. Per- 

 haps any other combustible material would answer 

 as well as straw — for instance, coarse sawdust satu- 

 rated with coal oil or gas tar. 



THEIR DEVELOPMENT. 



Fortunatety, if the season is favorable and the 

 grain ripens rapidly, their dam.age to it will thereby 

 be limited ; but more fortunately still, they usually 

 complete their larval development within the month 

 of June, and then go into the ground to pupate, and 

 issue forth a moth about the middle of July. The 

 sexes then pair, and the females deposit their eggs 

 on the stubble of grass or grain, and those eggs re- 

 main there until the following season, for there is 

 but one brood during the year. The young are so 

 small when they first issue from the eggs that their 

 presence is not observed, and therefore it is only 

 when they become about half grown and their 

 voracity has greatly increase'd that their presence 

 becomes conspicuously manifest, and then people 

 become astonished at their sudden appearance. 



PRECAUTION TO BE ADOPTED. 



Now, when a grain or grass field has been badly 

 infested by the army worm, if everything is favor- 

 able to their development during the intervening 

 season, it seems evident that their numbers may 

 greatly increase in the following year. Therefore it 

 is recommended to burn off the stubble in the fall, 

 or turn it deeply down with the plough . 



HABITS OF THE ARMY WORM. 



These army worms belong to the great family of 

 "cut worms," and like all of that tribe, if you touch 

 them or attempt to capture them they will immedi- 

 ately fall to the ground and curl themselves into a 

 compact circle and remain in that condition for some 

 time, and any attempt to straighten them out will be 

 firmly resisted, even to the rupture of their bodies. 

 The moths are generally called "owlet-moths," and 

 belong to the family Noctuid^, or "Night-fliers," 

 because they usually remain quiet or secreted during 

 the day and fly abroad at night ; if, therefore, lumi- 

 nous traps are set in the fields, after the crops are 

 removed, millions of them may be captured. 



HOW TO destroy the MOTH. 



A large and shallow tub or basin of water with a 

 globe lamp in the centre would constitute such a 

 trap. If the farmer did not wish to burn off or turn 

 down the stubble, on account of a prospective crop 

 of grain or grass the following year, the trap would 

 be the only thing to resort to, but might not be en- 

 tirely effective, as some of the moths may deposit 

 their eggs before they are trapped, or might roam off 

 to some other part of the farm. An ordinary moist 

 season, succeeding a mild winter, or a previous dry 

 season, is usually considered favorable to the army 

 worm's development. 



