Fig. 

 them are as follows : 



the credit of the whole benefit. Upon one or two occasions perfectly useless and inapplic- 

 able remedies for the attacks for which they were used, have been reported to me as quite 

 successful, while, as a matter of fact, the caterpillars were full-fed, and were quietly 

 undergoing their transformations beneath the soil. Cut-worms, for the most part, are 

 the caterpillars of dull-coloured, active moths (Figs. 5 and 6), belonging to the three 

 genera Agrotis, ffadena, and Mamestra, and comprise a large number of species. They 

 may be described, in a general way, as smooth, almost naked, greasy looking caterpillars, 

 of some dull shade of colour similar to the ground in which they hide during the day. 



The head is smooth and shining, as also is a 

 shield on the segment next to the head. Their 

 habits are almost always nocturnal, lying hid 

 by day just beneath the surface of the soil, 

 they come out at night to feed. When dis- 

 turbed they have a habit of curling up into a 

 ring and lying motionless on their sides. (Fig. 

 5). Amongst the large number of species 

 known as cut-worms, no doubt their habits 

 vary somewhat ; but probably those of most of 

 The egg is laid in the spring, summer or autumn, and the insects 

 may pass the winter either in the perfect moth state, or as a caterpillar, or chrysalis. 

 Those which hibernate as moths lay the spring eggs, and the moths are produced again 

 before winter sets in. The eggs which are laid in the summer and autumn hatch soon 

 after, and the caterpillars either become full-fed the same season and pass the winter 

 underground in the chrysalis state, or after feeding for a short time become torpid, and 

 pass the winter as half-grown caterpillars. 



In this latter condition they may be found late in the autumn under stones and heaps 

 of dead weeds, in the roots of grasses, or just beneath the surface of the ground. 

 During the summer and autumn the attacks of these small caterpillars are seldom noticed 

 on account of the abundance of vegetation. In the spring, however, this is far otherwise. 

 The winter and the farmer together have removed from the fields all vegetation, except 

 the crop which is to be grown, and when the caterpillars revived by the warmth of the 

 sun and opening spring, come from their winter retreats there is nothing for them to eat 

 but the farmers' early crops. They are particularly troublesome in gardens, cutting of 

 young plants as soon as planted out. When full grown they enter the ground to the 

 depth of a few inches and turn to chrysalids which eventually produce the dull-coloured, 

 active night-flying moths above referred to. When disturbed they, like their caterpillars, 

 have the habit of dropping to the ground and remaining perfectly still ; from their 

 sombre colour they are difficult to find. When at rest their wings lie horizontally over 

 their backs and the upper ones entirely cover the lower pair (Fig 6). The upper wings 



are generally crossed with more or less distinct 

 bars and always bear two characteristic marks, 

 one about half way down the wing orbicular 

 in shape, the other nearer the tip reniform or 

 kidney shaped. From their nocturnal habits 

 it frequently happens that although cut-worms, 

 do a great amount of damage they are not recog- 

 zed as the delinquents by some who have paid 

 no attention to insects. They may be divided 

 according to their habits into three classes. 

 1. Those which climb trees and destroy the 

 buds. 2. Those which live on the surface of 

 the ground and cut off herbaceous plants, just beneath the surface of the soil ; and 3 

 Those which combine both of these habits. Of the first class, the climbing cut-worm 

 Agrotis scandens, (Riley) is one of the commonest. This is sometimes very injurious to 

 the young apple trees. It climbs up the trunk after dark and destroys the young fruit 

 and leaf buds. Of the second class we cannot have a better example than the very trouble- 

 some " cabbage cut- worm," Hadena devastalrix, or Argrotit Cochranii (Fig. 5). Of the third 



