REPORTS OF DR. E. H. ANDERSOK. [39] 



others, but never saw them attack an insect. I have made it a special object to no- 

 tice the habits of the diiferent insects visiting the cotton flower, to satisfy myself as to 

 its reputed nectar glands, and often observed bees especially visiting those at the 

 base of the involucre. They invariably visited each gland, passing from flower to 

 flower, and repeating the operation. The larger bees confined themselves to the outer 

 glands, while the smaller invariably went within the flower and came out loaded with 

 pollen. I saw the Boll Worm moth also visit the outer glands, but, though having 

 often watched, have not seen the midrib gland visited, though have frequently found 

 it filled with a sweet. The nectar glands have been so fully and ably treated by Mr. 

 Trelease, and the visits of the moth to them verified by Professor Riley, as to estab- 

 lish the fact and reveal a new feature in the natural history of this interesting insect. 



In my investigation this season,! had the opportunity of seeing the jute growing 

 in the midst of cotton. It had been planted in May, and when I saw it, late in Au- 

 gust, had attained the height of 8 to 10 feet, and was luxuriant. The row, about 200 

 feet long, was surrounded by cotton, the row of jute running parallel with the rows 

 of cotton, and the worms were abundant on the cotton in the midst of the jute and 

 touching their leaves. Its eftect was nihil. 



Among the insects found eating cotton late in August was Saturnia io, the Corn Em- 

 peror Moth. It appeared in a small field of cotton near Canton, and would doubtless 

 have stripped the cotton had it not been hand-picked and destroyed. It probably 

 reached the cotton by migration, as a garden adjoined the field. Their conspicuous 

 size made it an easy matter to find them, and hence their destruction could be easily 

 effected by brushing them off and crushing. 



I have met with but one larva that I did not recognize as having been described by 

 other observers, and that one T found preying upon Aletia larvsB in the act of pupa- 

 tion, and found it so frequently as to induce me to think it quite destructive to this 

 insect. This I sent to the Department for identification. 



The London purple was tried under my supervision in two ways, wet and dry. 

 The dry powder was mixed with cotton-seed meal and flour in the proportion of one 

 to thirty, and dusted over a small area, and in a short time the worms ceased to eat, 

 sickened and died. The dry process, without proper sifters or dusters, would be im- 

 practicable over large areas, and without proper distribution would prove injurious 

 to the plant and could only be used to advantage while the dew is on or just before 

 a rain. Its effects, however, seem to be quite permanent as the worms continued to 

 die for some time after the application, though showers continued to fall. The dry 

 application would require greater precaution on the part of the operator, and may 

 be considered less safe than the wet. The wet in the proportion of 1 pound to 40 

 gallons of water proved equally effective, and with a good fountain pump may be 

 used without any risk. After the wet application the worms continued to die for 

 several weeks, though several hard rains had fallen in the mean time, and while the 

 leaves showed to a small extent the effect of the poison, the plant generally re- 

 tained its freshness, while adjoining unsprinkled cotton was stripped bare. I think 

 the result of these experiments will inspire confidence in the use of poisons in this 

 locality and do away with much of the prejudice heretofore existing in regard to 

 them, especially as the gentlemen, Smith- Vaniz Brothers, upon whose plantation they 

 were made, are prominent members of the County Agricultural Club and intelligent 

 and skilful farmers. As to London purple as an insecticide, in the proportions above 

 mentioned, there is no doubt of its entire efficacy, and as it is both cheap and perma- 

 nent in its operation it must eventually come into general use. As ray opportunities 

 for experiments with poisons this season have been limited, I should have occasion 

 for regret did I not know that abler and far more expert hands have been engaged in 

 this work elsewhere. 



By direction of Professor Riley I have given more attention to experiments with 

 pyrethrum extract and yeast. The only preparation I could obtain was the extract 

 furnished me by Professor R. W. Jones, of Oxford, and prepared by himself, and at his 

 suggestion I used it in the proportion of one to thirty of water. This I ax)plied by 

 sprinkling over the worms on the plants. In several minutes after the application 

 the younger worms ceased to eat and fell to the ground ; the older ones ceased like- 

 wise to eat, and in three or four minutes commenced writhing, and in twenty minutes 

 all were on the ground, and soon in a torpid conditition and apparently paralyzed. 

 As this was done in the afternoon, I cannot say whether they revived or not, though 

 I found none on the ground, and but few on the plants. My belief is that they died. 

 My next experiment was upon a number of large caterpillars found upon a rue plant. 

 Thescj though greatly larger than the Cotton Worm, seemed more sensitive to the 

 effects of the pyrethrum, as they showed great irritation at once, and in a few moments 

 commenced writhing, and in five minutes all were in a torpid state on the ground. 

 There were twenty on the plant. On my return in two days I found four on the 

 plant and one dead on the ground. 



My next experiment was upon young and old Cotton Worms, and, as in the first case, 

 the young succumbed in a few moments, and the older ones in fifteen minutes, when 



