THE QUESTION OF HIBERNATION. 



19 



of undulating darker lines across the front wings, somewhat similar to 

 those on the latter. Its palpi are longer and snout-like, and its front 

 wings invariably lack the dark discal spot and the white specks cliar- 

 acteristic of Aletia. 



Phoheria atomaris Hllbn./^ and manj^ other similar moths, have heeii 

 forwarded with the remark that they were the Cotton Moth j while Leu- 

 cania unipuncta Haw., the pa- 

 rent of the Northern Army 

 Worm, which feeds only on 

 grasses and cereals, is every- 

 where found in the South dur- 

 ing winter, and, on account 

 of its great similarity in color 

 to Aletia, and of a white dis- 

 cal spot relieved with a dark ^ „ , ^ ,, , ^t, ^ x,^ 



^ . Fig. 8.— Army Worm Moth : a, male motli ; 6, abdomen 



shade on the front wings, that of female— natural size; c, eye; d, base of male antenna; 

 hei<^htenS the S'eneral resem- ^. ^^ase of female antenna — enlarged. (After Riley.) 



blauce, is more often mi- taken therefor than any other. It is more 

 robust than Aletia, and a comparison of the accompanying illustration 

 (Fig. 8) with Fig. 7, p. 11, will show the other differences. Seeing how 

 easily non-entomologists are misled by general resemblances, we would 

 again lay stress on the readily observed characters underlined on page 

 9, by which Aletia may always be recognized. Where they are absent 

 it may be safely taken for granted that other species are in question. 

 From this danger of confounding species it is evident that ordinary 

 reports lose, when unaccompanied by specimens, much of their value, 

 and must always be taken cum grano sails. 



Yet, after making due allowance for possible error, the number of in- 

 telligent planters with whom we have conversed, and who, having long 

 and thorough acquaintance with the moth, feel positive of their ftbility 

 to distinguish it and of having seen it during the winter, is so great as 

 to leave little doubt of the fact; while the added testimony of Mr. Grote, 

 who is such an authority on moths that he could not thus confound 

 species, and who states that he has found the Aletia in Alabama during 

 mild winter weather, should dispel even that little doubt j and we may 

 safely consider as proven that the moth does survive the winter up to 

 the end of March. The general experience of correspondents is, how- 

 ever, that after March these hibernating moths are no longer to be seen, 

 and no one knows what becomes of them between this time and the ap- 

 pearance of the first worms. 



The difiQculty felt in bridging this gap, together with the progress of 

 injury from tbe south northward, has given rise to the theory that the 

 species cannot survive the winter in this country, and must necessarily 

 come each year on the wing from some foreign country where cotton is 

 I)erennial. The history of the repeated suggestions of this so-called 

 migration theory, from Dr. Gorham's first article in 1847, down to 



