72 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



puzzles nic to fiiul whore the interest ccmies in. If this comnninicatinn in 

 of that ehiss suppress it without fail. The last Tribune g-ives a learuciJ 

 and scientific piece on the importance to farmers of birds. We have long" 

 appreciated this here. They are not only defended by law, but by moral 

 and relig'ious teachinijs to the risinj;' generation. 



"But how is it about worms ? 1 have been taught to consider thcni as 

 enemies to the farmer, and waged war on them according. But lately I 

 found that is not right, expedient nor proper to kill all kinds of worms- 

 Now to illustrate: My farm is located on a southern declivity, and cut- 

 worms have been the pest of my life, reaping the young corn cl(>se to the 

 ground entirely out of season; of course I destroyed them without mercy 

 when I was so lucky as to find them in hoeing. While engaged i?i this 

 occupation of hoeing corn and killing cut-worms, occasionally a wortn came 

 to the surface that appeared diflerent; he would throw himself on hia beam 

 ends and show fight, but the corn was missing where I found him — prima 

 facie evidence — and he suffered the fate of the transgressors, the cut- worm. 

 By and by the tluuight struck me, are not these the Avorms tiiat the good 

 God Almighty has made to follow on the track of those euised cut-worms, 

 and destroy them. 



"Well, why not demonstrate this? I had a basin two-thirds full of dirt 

 in which was a llourishiiig hill of C(Mn; 1 caught jMr. cut-worm and put 

 him in the basin. I caught Mr. nondescript and put him in; he made good 

 time round the basin, not quite 2:40, but respectable time for a worm. Mr. 

 cut-worm could not begin with him in speed. After making two or three 

 rounds he came across the cut-worm; he seized him at once b}* the throat, 

 then came the tug of war; but with all Mr. cut-worm's writhing and squirnv 

 ing, nondescript held his grip, and I could think of nothing more singular 

 than a tiger fastened t(j his prey. lie abstracted the inside of that cut-worm 

 by suction, not to speak very philosophically, and left nothing but the skin- 

 lie gave the quietus in the same manner to two other worms forthwith, 

 with this difl'erenre, they were not so completely exhausted. You may be 

 sure I never killed any more of these liger icorms. 



" Now, sir, if you think this worthy of your notice, present it to the 

 savans; perhaps it is nothing new, and perhaps it is. 



"This worm resenibles the cut-worm very nearly — a little darker color, 

 more activity, and a horny, spade-like head." 



Dr. Trimble. — This tiger worm, as the writer calls it, is fully described 

 by Dr. Fitch in his <"ssay upon the cut-worm. He also describes several 

 (.tli<r ill ^^tnl^tll^s t>f that pest. 



Worms on Grape Leaves. 



Dr. Trimbh". — .My :ittention has lately been called to a small, bright 

 colored bug, found in ctunpany with worms upon grape vines. A gentle- 

 man asked my opinion about destroying these bugs. On examining their 

 movements with a magnifying glass, he foun<l that a bug approached a 

 worm atid sud<!i'nly thrust him with a hitherto concealed dagger, upon 

 •which he held hiinsilf Hist while li<' ate *lie juice of his body. 



