32 REPORT- 4, UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



the nortliern tier were infested, but none badly; tlie crop of Hills- 

 borough County, farther south, was, however, considerably shortened. 



In 1879 the worms were noticed and reported earlier than ever be- 

 fore, but this is due to the fact that active workers, attached to the 

 Commission and to the Department, were on the lookout for them. 

 They were reported in the canebrake region of Alabama by Mr. Tre- 

 lease, and in the Colorado bottom, in Texas, by Mr. Schwarz, about the 

 middle of May ; 1879 was not, however, a bad worm year. Although 

 some localities suffered considerable loss, the general loss was far from 

 great. From the September report upon the condition of crops, issued 

 by this Department, we learn the following: The caterpillars were pres- 

 ent in great numbers on the 1st of September in Beaufort County, 

 South Carolina; Baker, Dooly, Muscogee, Brooks, Lee, and Stewart 

 Counties, Georgia; Putnam, Bradford, Sumter, and Marion Counties, 

 Florida, and, in a lesser degree, in Madison, Leon, Suwannee, and 

 Gadsden. In Alabama, Wilcox, Bullock, Coffee, and Perry suffered 

 considerably, while Dale, Lowndes, Monroe, Barbour, and Conecuh 

 were overrun with less resulting damage. Mississippi reported the 

 caterpillars in Lauderdale, Bankin, Scott, 2!5"ewton, Carroll, Lowndes, 

 Oktibbeha, Copiah, Sharkey, Hindes, Leake, Holmes, and Jasper. 

 Louisiana sent in not a single report of loss; and Texas only Austin, 

 Trinity, Waller, and Harrison; Arkansas, Drew County. The No- 

 vember report increased this list by Thomas County, Georgia; Alachua, 

 Wakulla, and Hamilton Counties, Florida; Clarke, Hale, and Lee 

 Counties, Alabama; Amite, Newton, and Smith Counties, Mississippi; 

 and Brazos and De Witt Counties, Texas ; the two last reporting the 

 crop as being almost entirely destroyed by worms. The year, as a 

 whole, was not a favorable one for cotton; and the crop, as a whole, fell 

 Bhort of that of the previous year in spite of an increased acreage. 



In 1880 there seemed to be no especially marked increase in the num- 

 ber of the worms over the previous year. The season was a favorable 

 one for cotton throughout its whole extent in the Carolinas, Georgia, 

 Florida, and Texas; although too wet after August in Alabama, Mis- 

 sissippi, and Louisiana, and dry in Arkansas and Tennessee. As early 

 as June 4, the worms were reported as doing much damage in Bossier 

 Parish, Louisiana, and in one or two Texas counties. In July they ap- 

 peared in Decatur, Early, Quitman, Sumter, and Dooly Counties, 

 Georgia; Gadsden and Madison, Florida; Bullock, Hale, Perry, Bald- 

 win, Macon, Marengo, and Greene, Alabama; Panola, Covington, 

 Clarke, Kemper, and Simpson, Mississippi ; Pointe Couple and Madi- 

 son, Louisiana; Jackson, Falls, and Walker, Texas. The final reports 

 for the season show that the damage in Georgia was considerable in 

 Decatur, Lee, and Quitman ; slight, or comparatively slight, in Screven, 

 Troup, Early, Sumter, and Dooly ; considerable in Lafayette, Florida, 

 but less in Marion, Gadsden, and Madison; considerable again in Bar- 

 bour, Elmore, Crenshaw. Bullock, Hale, and Macon Counties, Ala- 



