﻿120 
  Thirtieth 
  Report 
  on 
  the 
  State 
  Museum. 
  [8] 
  

  

  presence 
  within 
  the 
  apple 
  indicates 
  its 
  previous 
  existence 
  in 
  

   the 
  worm. 
  It 
  could 
  not 
  have 
  taken 
  possession 
  of 
  the 
  worm 
  

   while 
  the 
  apple 
  was 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  tree, 
  for 
  its 
  structure 
  

   would 
  not 
  admit 
  of 
  its 
  ascending 
  the 
  trunk 
  and 
  branches 
  

   of 
  the 
  tree. 
  Should 
  a 
  wonderful 
  instinct 
  lead 
  it 
  to 
  seek 
  its 
  

   prey 
  through 
  the 
  closely 
  packed 
  excremental 
  matter 
  filling 
  

   the 
  worm-holes 
  of 
  the 
  " 
  wind-falls 
  " 
  lying 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  then 
  

   the 
  worm 
  in 
  its 
  exit 
  from 
  the 
  fruit, 
  usually 
  very 
  soon 
  after 
  

   the 
  apple 
  falls, 
  would 
  carry 
  its 
  guest 
  away 
  with 
  it, 
  instead 
  of 
  

   leaving 
  it 
  behind 
  to 
  excite 
  our 
  wonder 
  and 
  perhaps 
  alarm 
  

   several 
  months 
  thereafter. 
  Damp 
  cellars 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   an 
  appropriate 
  habitat 
  for 
  the 
  Mermis, 
  but 
  its 
  abode 
  within 
  

   the 
  stored 
  apples 
  would 
  naturally 
  be 
  more 
  brief 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  

   than 
  in 
  the 
  preceding, 
  the 
  latest 
  worms 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  having 
  

   attained 
  or 
  being 
  near 
  their 
  maturity. 
  Without 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  

   penetrating 
  the 
  apple, 
  its 
  prey 
  could 
  much 
  more 
  conveniently 
  

   be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  unchanged 
  larvae 
  hidden 
  often 
  in 
  immense 
  

   numbers 
  between 
  the 
  boards 
  of 
  the 
  apple-bins 
  or 
  beneath 
  the 
  

   barrel 
  hoops 
  within 
  a 
  cocoon 
  too 
  slight 
  to 
  offer 
  any 
  material 
  

   resistance 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  so 
  thread-like 
  an 
  organism. 
  

  

  The 
  interesting 
  inquiry 
  also 
  arises, 
  is 
  this 
  the 
  first 
  state 
  of 
  

   parasitism 
  in 
  the 
  cycle 
  of 
  the 
  Mermis' 
  history, 
  or, 
  as 
  would 
  

   seem 
  more 
  probable, 
  has 
  it 
  already 
  undergone 
  its 
  first 
  trans- 
  

   formation 
  from 
  its 
  larval 
  to 
  its 
  perfect 
  form 
  within 
  the 
  body 
  

   of 
  some 
  other 
  animal, 
  totally 
  unlike 
  our 
  apple-worm 
  ? 
  It 
  is 
  

   to 
  be 
  hoped 
  that 
  Dr. 
  Leidy's 
  observations 
  have 
  enabled 
  him 
  

   satisfactorily 
  to 
  solve 
  these 
  several 
  enigmas. 
  

  

  As 
  an 
  aid 
  to 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  the 
  interest- 
  

   ing 
  animal, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  service 
  if 
  as 
  full 
  statements 
  as 
  pos- 
  

   sible 
  be 
  obtained 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  under 
  which 
  it 
  has 
  occurred 
  

   in 
  each 
  instance 
  in 
  Orange 
  county 
  the 
  present 
  season 
  — 
  the 
  

   first 
  knowledge 
  we 
  have 
  of 
  its 
  presence 
  in 
  the 
  apple, 
  or 
  any 
  

   other 
  fruit. 
  Was 
  it 
  found 
  invariably 
  in 
  worm-eaten 
  apples 
  ; 
  

   and 
  if 
  so, 
  had 
  the 
  fruit 
  been 
  much 
  or 
  little 
  eaten 
  ? 
  Were 
  any 
  

   remains 
  of 
  the 
  Carpocapsa-worm 
  noticed 
  as 
  associated 
  with 
  it 
  \ 
  

   Were 
  any 
  living 
  apple-worms 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  apples 
  eaten 
  during 
  

   the 
  winter 
  ? 
  Where 
  and 
  in 
  what 
  manner 
  were 
  the 
  apples 
  

   stored 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  Mermis 
  was 
  present 
  ? 
  Can 
  it 
  be 
  ascer- 
  

   tained 
  if 
  the 
  infested 
  apples 
  were 
  hand-picked 
  or 
  " 
  wind-falls 
  \ 
  " 
  

  

  Any 
  replies 
  to 
  the 
  abeve, 
  or 
  such 
  additional 
  information 
  as 
  

   may 
  promise 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  service, 
  will 
  be 
  thankfully 
  received 
  at 
  

   the 
  State 
  Museum. 
  

  

  