INSECTS AND THEIR REMEDIES 101 



bage into Mexico, the insect just named was probably 

 much more restricted in numbers, and changed its habit 

 from some plant of the mustard family or other, to the 

 more acceptable and delicate food of the cultivated cab- 

 bage. This insect was found a few years ago feeding on 

 Ossabaw beach on a plant, I think, of the family 

 Salsoleae. 



In the fall of 1880, I found the larvae of the little 

 Botys repetitalis on cauliflower, and a few days afterwards 

 my daughter found it, probably on its native food plant 

 very abundantly, the common rag-weed (Ambrosia 

 artemesicB/olia.) Of this and other instances of change 

 of habit coming under my own observation, Prof. Riley 

 says in one of his reports: 



"Under the head of new cabbage insects should be 

 included this insect, which was first described as Botys 

 repetitalis by Mr. Grote, on page 270 of the last Annual 

 Report of the Department of Agriculture. Larvae of 

 this insect were originally received from Dr. A. Oemler, 

 of Wilmington Island, at the mouth of the Savannah 

 Eiver, etc." 



In a contribution to the "American Naturalist," under 

 the title of " Change of Habit; Two New Enemies of the 

 Egg Plant," Prof. Riley says: "In our writings on the 

 Colorado potato-beetle, we have repeatedly drawn atten- 

 tion to the fact that Doryphora j uncta, although a native 

 of the Atlantic States, and living in the midst of our cul- 

 tivated species of Solanum, has yet never shown any indi- 

 cation to leave its natural food plant, the wild horse-nettle 

 (Solanum Carolinense) for the cultivated species of the 

 genus. We have now for the first time to record its appear- 

 ance as an enemy to horticulture, Dr. Oemler having found 

 it larvae as well as beetles feeding on his egg-plants in 

 the earlier part of June. There can be no doubt about 

 the correctness of Dr. Oemler' s observations, as the speci- 

 mens were sent to us for determination. This is another 



