576 General Notes. [July, 
We notice that Mr. Lintner, disregarding the popular name of 
“ bronzy cut-worm,” by which we have characterized the larva, 
proposes to call it the “ grass-cutter,” on the plea that the term 
“worm” is, strictly speaking, used for the class Vermes, and 
should be discarded from entomological nomenclature as apply- 
ing to larve. Such ultra-refined reasoning, could it have any 
following, would lead to absurd ends. Vulgar names rarely be- 
come popular except as they come from the people, and should, 
when coined by naturalists, be as far as possible specific of some 
peculiarity that will permit recognition of the object. The term 
“ grass-culter” is a gencral one ‘hat would equally fit (he army 
worm, the Pyralid larva referred to by Mr. Adams, and dozens of 
other Noctuid larva which are “ grass-cutters” and to which the 
term “cut-worm” has been aptly applied. The term “ worm,” in 
the entomological sense, comes from the people and is universally 
employed by English writers, while its equivalent is employed 
in t e same sense in French, German and other languages. To 
undertake to eliminate it from the vernacular is to attempt an Ir 
ide. We have also in past years found it in Missouri in pastures, 
mostly under cow dung, but have not yet reared it to the image 
state. It evidently played a considerable part in the injury. 
referred to by Mr. Lintner, and was more common 
Nephelodes in the fields referred to by Mr. Adams. It forms, for 
transformation, among the grass roots, an elongate pod of silk 
intermixed and covered on the outside with earth. 
Without having seen the specimens it would have been safe to — 
conclude that the reported injury was not from the true army 
worm, which nevers appears, in destructive numbers, so early in 
have shown no propensity to travel from field to field as does 
it may be distinguished from the Leucania unipunctata, the lar- 
Mo. Reputt, a 
pp. 184-5. 2) 
ee : ; est in 
NEPHELODES VIOLANS—/arva : Larger specimens fully 1.9 inch long, large 
middle of body and tapering slightly each Way, expecially toward anus. COT. c 
ish bronze, the surface faintly corrugulate but polished, the piliferous spots © yale 
A darker, highly polished cervical shield and anal plate. A medio-dorsal an@ 8°” — 
