1874.] 205 [Mann. 



ing to give names characteristic of season or locality. This illus- 

 tration is now destroyed, but too numerous illustrations of the point 

 could be given. 



I give below a brief sketch of the principal articles upon the 

 Canker-worms, as far as I have met with them. As I have already 

 gathered much material for a complete discussion of the subject, I 

 would be obliged for any assistance. 



The original description of Anisopteryx vernata is to be found in 

 an article in the Massachusetts Magazine, 8vo., for Sept. and Oct., 

 1795, Vol. 7, pp. 323-327, 415-416, entitled: " The Description and 

 History of the Canker-Worm. By William Dandridge Peck," and 

 accompanied by a plate, without explanation. The species is here 

 described entirely in accordance with the description which I have 

 given, heretofore, under the erroneous name of A. pometariq, and is 

 designated as follows: " Phahena (vernata 1 ) geometra seticornis, 

 alis cinereis, fasciis tribus obscuris, fuscis; posticis immaculatis: 

 femina aptera." 



This article was reprinted in the " Rules and Regulations of the 

 Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture," 8vo., 1796, pp. 

 35-45, under the heading: " Natural History of the Canker- Worm. 

 By Mr. William Dandridge Peck," and was accompanied by addi- 

 tional impressions from the original plate. Some verbal changes 

 were made in the text. 



The same article appeared again in the " New England Farmer," 

 4to. (6 July, 1827), Vol. v, pp. 393-394, with the omission of the 

 last five paragraphs and the plate. This is not copied from the orig- 

 inal article, but from the reprint cited above, and is entitled: "Nat- 

 ural History of the Canker- Worm. By William Dandridge Peck. 

 ( From Memoirs of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society.) " 



From this time until the publication of Harris' "Report on the 

 Insects of Massachusetts, injurious to vegetation," 8vo., 1841, no 

 scientific mention of the species was made, as far as I have ascer- 

 tained yet. Meanwhile, a great change seems to have come over the 

 relations of the species to each other and to the world, for when Peck 

 wrote, the occurrence of fall imagos was considered quite exceptional, 

 while at the time that Harris wrote, the fall species was evidently 

 far the more common. 



I do not consider myself justified in building largely upon the 

 foundation of my negative observation, that no specimens of A . ver- 



1 From its appearing early in the spring. 



