ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 77 



times, but with creatures that work so much in secret as insects do, it is probable that it 

 can never be done. When an unusual outbreak of any injurious insect occurs "we can 

 say positively that the conditions for its coming to maturity had been particularly 

 favorable, but that includes all the climatic conditions, whether these were wet or dry, 

 cold or hot, steady or fluctuating, and as these influence different species in different ways, 

 the uncertainty is the greater ; then there is food supply in the past as well as the present ; 

 the absence of predacious enemies, parasitic fungi and such like ; they may also cover the 

 character of the cultivation of that locality, as that" may form a harbor and encouragement 

 to the increase of pests, — an extent of varied knowledge which no one is likely to be in a 

 position to possess. And so with their absence or great scarcity in other years, we can 

 say positively that the conditions were not favorable, but just what these were it may be 

 impossible to specify, especially by one who was not in the locality and had no opportunity 

 of observing the conditions. 



The first really serious and wide-spread outbreak of the army- worm, Leucania uni- 

 puncta, Haworth, in Canada, having occurred the last season, was the means of directing 

 general attention to that destructive insect ; and was productive of much newspaper 

 correspondence. I had an opportunity of seeing the worm in the flesh, for the first time 

 to my knowledge, and inspecting its work ; and this is how it was obtained : 



Being on a visit to Hamilton in July, I was invited fco spend the evening of the 

 22nd, at Boulderwood, the charming summer residence of Mr. and Mrs. B. E. Charlton. 

 It is situated on the brow of the mountain, adjoining the north or city side of the asylum 

 grounds. On our way up, Mr. Charlton informed me that the army worm had invaded 

 the asylum grounds, and was destroying the crops ; and he proposed that after dinner 

 we should visit the locality, and survey the invading army ; which we accordingly did. 

 We obtained the guidance of the farmer of the grounds, who led us to the infested field, 

 which was at the extreme southern end of the asylum farm. He said they were first 

 noticed in a field of oats, and on the other, or southern side of the road from his, and that 

 the owner as soon as he knew they were there, cut his oats and shocked them in the 

 field. The next day when he examined his shocks he found the ground under them a 

 mass of worms mingled with oats. The asylum farmer at once ordered his to be cut, but 

 had them carted to a far distant field and there put up in shocks. 



The crop next north of the oats that had been cut and removed, was spring wheat. 

 There we had evidence of what the worms could do. Not a loose leaf was to be seen in 

 the field ; the straw standing quite naked. It had begun to ripen, which probably had 

 saved it and the heads from attack, as some of the short and greener ones showed signs 

 of having been nibbled at. We found a number of the worms under clods, but the 

 farmer expressed surprise at their being so scarce, as compared with the previous day, 

 when a pint or more of them had been taken in a very short time, which had been 

 wanted for exhibition purposes. Probably the bulk of them had gone to seek fresh 

 pasture, as there was not a green leaf in that field left for them to eat. Some of those 

 taken seemed to be full grown, and may have been preparing to pupate, as chrysalids 

 were found. During the search Mr. Charlton found a creature which was to us of doubt- 

 ful parentage, I thought I recognized it as something I ought to know, but could not 

 say what at the time. Having surveyed the situation to our satisfaction : and Mr. 

 Charlton having secured three of the largest worms in a box, the unnameable creature 

 and a chrysalid ; we returned to his residence. After these had been looked at by the 

 residents and visitors assembled, the time came when I had to leave ; Mr. Charlton 

 kindly said I might take the box and its contents, which I was very pleased to do ; so I 

 put it in my vest pocket, which it just fitted. Upon reaching my place of abode, I took 

 out the box to show my friends the army worms ; when I opened it, I found the largest 

 one had disappeared, except the head and shrivelled skin, which was about the size of a 

 grain of wheat, whilst the unnameable creature had another one by the middle, and was 

 quietly engaged in absorbing its internal economy with unmistakable satisfaction. This 

 disclosure of its habits at once suggested to me that it was the larva of some predaceous 

 beetle, probably an Harpalus, and that I had seen an illustration of it soncnwhere. Upon 



