AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 339 



It appears moreover, to belong to the modern genus Rhyparo- 

 chromus (pretty trifles, H. M.). In its perfect state it is not 

 apterous, Ibut has wings, and then measures about 3-20th of an 

 inch in length. It is readily distinguished by its white wing- 

 covers, upon each of which there is a short central line, and a 

 large marginal oval spot, black. The rest of the body is black 

 and downy, except the beak, the legs, the antennse at base, and 

 the hinder edge of the thorax, which is reddish-yellow, and the 

 fore part of the thorax which has a grayish lustre. The young 

 and wingless individuals are at first bright red, changing with 

 age to brown and black; a7id are always marked with a white hand 

 across the hack. 



It is a mistake that these insects are confined to the states 

 south of the 40 "^ of north latitude, for I have been favored with 

 them by Professor Lathrop of Beloit College, Wisconsin, and by 

 Dr. Le Baron, of Geneva, Illinois. The latter gentleman had no 

 difficulty in obtaining a suflacient number without going out of 

 his own garden. 



The eggs of the Chinch bug are laid in the ground in which 

 the young have been found in great abundance at the depth of 

 an inch or more. They make their appearance on wheat about the 

 middle of June; and may be seen in their various stages of growth 

 on all kinds of grain, on corn, and on herds grass, during the 

 whole summer. Some of them continue alive through the winter 

 in their places of concealment. 



The summer of 1838, the early part of it, was very dry, and 

 our gardens and fields swarmed with immense numbers of little 

 bugs, that attacked almost any kind of herbaceous plants. My 

 attention Avas first drawn to them by the injury they did to 

 dahlias, marigolds, asters and balsams. In the garden of my 

 friends Messrs. Hoveys, at Cambridge, they were committing sad 

 havoc, and all means of destroying or expelling them had failed. 

 They were in great numbers on the potato vines, and diminished 

 the potato crop. In St. Johnsbury, Vermont, they were charged 

 with the potato-rot. 



The Chairman called up the subjects of the day — Fall Dressing 

 of Meadows, and Preparation of Ground for and Planting Wheat. 



Orange Judd stated that the first question was from Dr. Water- 

 bury, who was now absent at two funerals. 



Mr. Judd being called upon, said he had not proposed the 

 question for the purpose of speaking upon it, but to draw out in- 

 formation needed at this season. He had raised some wheat, and 



