194 



the same species, and all our entomologists I believe consider 

 them so ; but we have no definite prool that I know of on 

 either side. 



They have not been noticed generally since 1817 in this 

 part of the country, but it must not be supposed that they 

 have lain dormant during all that time, nor that they were 

 then exterminated and now recreated ; they have undoubt- 

 edly appeared every year since then, but in small numbers, 

 and in places unfrequented by those who would be likely 

 to observe them. In 1860 I took two moths and then con- 

 sidered them quite rare, never having taken them before. 

 This shows that they did not increase quite so suddenly as 

 most persons think, but were more numerous in 1860 

 than in the years preceding it, and therefore laid more eggs 

 for 1861. 



Dr. Fitch (and Mr. J. Kirkpatrick and other observers 

 corroborate his opinion) thinks that the army worm origi- 

 nally belonged to the swamps and has emigrated from them 

 to the fields. He says before each sAvarm of them we have 

 had a dry Summer, which would allow them to develop 

 large quantities of moths, the caterpillars being better able 

 to arrive at maturity. And the spring following has been 

 wet, driving the moths up to the high land to lay their eggs, 

 which would produce the ii^mense numbers we see. This 

 theory will do very well if they are found to lay their eggs 

 in the spring, but Mr. Walsh thinks that they lay their eggs 

 the same summer, and he brings forward very strong reas- 

 ons for thinking as he does. I am sorry that I cannot add 

 any information of my own, but I was unable to keep my 

 moths till they laid their eggs. 



In a letter to Mr. F. W. Putnam, May 15, which has been 

 kindly lent to me by that gentleman, Mr. S. P. Fowler says, 

 that " There appeared to have been some eggs deposited 

 around the sides of the flower pot (in which the moths 

 werej and had the appearance of being interwoven with a 

 cotton substance. Some writers I notice say that this insect 

 deposits eggs near the roots of grass in sacks resembling cot- 

 ton. Those I noticed were not enclosed in a sack." I do not 

 feel at all satisfied with these eggs, for I do not know of any 

 Nectuid depositing its eggs in this manner in a cottony sub- 



